


Something Wicked

by cindermane



Series: Something Wicked Chronicles [1]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Character Development, Drama, Major Character Injury, Nightmares
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-07
Updated: 2018-04-28
Packaged: 2018-12-04 16:20:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 26,791
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11558922
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cindermane/pseuds/cindermane
Summary: After an attack leaves one of their members gravely injured, Team RWBY finds itself caught in war far older than themselves, and as the battle between light and shadow begins anew, it is left up to them and their friends to save the day. But something wicked is coming. Even as a team, will they be enough to stand against the growing darkness? (AU after Volume 3 Episode 4)(Cross posted on fanfiction.net)





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> DISCLAIMER: I don't own RWBY. Rooster Teeth does.
> 
> This story begins the morning after Winter leaves, immediately after Volume 3 episode 4.  
> 

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just an updated prologue. Sorry for the update in the middle of the week.

Something Wicked: Prologue

 

The little girl ran through the hall of mirrors as fast as she could. The smack of her bare feet against warm stone filled the air as her image danced through eternity in all directions. She took turn after turn, desperately searching for the way out, with each corner came fear. Fear that she would see the very thing she dreaded most.

Left. Right. Left again. The maze of glass was endless. Never once had she escaped, but she had to try. She had to, or else she'd see it. She'd see  _ them _ .

Another right. Another left. The girl went skidding to the hard stone as her foot slipped on something warm and wet. She stood, realizing what it was, her heavy breath sticking in her dry throat. She turned to find the hall behind her was gone. Spinning endlessly in a round room with no exit, no escape. 

The first thing she saw was blood. The thick, sticky liquid covered her hands and feet and stained her hair and dress red. Then the bodies. 

Three. The girl fell to her knees and wailed. Her small hands tearing into  her own scalp, searching desperately for an escape. “No…” She mumbled. “No…no…” Then...they were gone. She gazed into the pool of scarlet beneath her. She was alone. She couldn’t rely on them. They couldn’t rely on her. 

She lost herself as everything faded away. Everything but the blood. It was always with her. It followed, like a faithful hound to a master. No matter what happened, in the end, the only thing she could rely on was that deep crimson red, like roses. Realization hit. No, not red like roses. Red like blood.


	2. Chapter 1: The Child Made of Glass

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story begins the morning after Winter leaves.

Chapter 1: The Child Made of Glass

 

_"You were the child_  
_Who was made of glass_  
_Who carried a black heart_  
_Passed down from your Dad_  
  
_If somebody loved you,_  
_They’d tell you by now_  
_We all turn away when you’re down"_  
\--That’s Okay, the Hush Sound

 

Weiss awoke, bolting upright. Her breaths came out ragged and uneven, her body covered in a cold sweat. "Weiss," a voice shouted beside her. Her head snapped towards the noise. It was Ruby. "Weiss, you're awake." Ruby said, a look of relief spread across her face.

For a moment, the heiress was silent as her mind came back to the world of the living. Then she saw her leaders cloak. _Red like blood_. "Of course I'm awake you dunce." Weiss yelled as she pushed Ruby out of her way. "You keep screaming my name." She climbed out of her bed, only to come face to face with Blake and Yang.

"You were having a nightmare.” Blake spoke calmly. “We couldn't wake you up." Weiss’s eyes caught on Blake’s bow. An image of skin turned blue flashed through her mind as her breath caught in her throat.

"I was not having a nightmare." She lied, hastily grabbing her clothes and making a break for the bathroom.

Yang barred her path. "Then why are you crying? And why are you covered in sweat?"

Weiss reached a hand up to her cheek, feeling the moisture. She looked back to Yang, and saw nothing but golden hair crusted with blood. "I'm just fine," she insisted frantically before forcing her way past Yang and into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.

Alone, she sighed in relief, changed her clothes, and began her morning routines. Glancing up, Weiss caught her own gaze in the mirror. Her eyes were red and puffy, and there were tear streaks going down her face. She scoffed, instantly recognizing that terrified little child hiding behind her light blue eyes. They opened a window into her loneliness, her pain. What she wouldn't give to hide herself from those eyes, to never see that fear again. Splashing her face in the sink, the lonely Heiress washed away the last remaining signs of her dreaded.

The heiress hadn't had that nightmare for a very long time. She wondered what had changed, why it had returned. Winter left the day before, and Weiss couldn't tell if it was something her sister had said or just seeing her that had stirred the feelings she had tried to lock away when she’d left Atlas for Beacon. Memories she would rather forget. She let out a deep sigh, and tore herself away from the mirror.

Ruby stood alone in their dorm room, having told Blake and Yang to go on ahead to the cafeteria. She wanted to talk with Weiss, and hoped a one-on-confrontation would make the heiress more comfortable and open. The young girl was worried. She cared for her partner, and counted Weiss as one of her closest friends, no matter how many times she had been rejected.

At that moment, Weiss exited the bathroom, tearing the young leader from her thoughts. The girl’s came face to face. The heiress took a deep breath. "Ruby." She acknowledged, before she began gathering her stuff for the day while avoiding eye contact.

"Weiss." Ruby stood there for a minute, not knowing how to continue. "You know," she finally began, "I have nightmares too sometimes."

Weiss let out a frustrated groan. "I told you, it wasn't a nightmare."

"I'm just saying," Ruby tried again, "it helps to have someone to talk to. With me it was Yang. I'm your friend Weiss and-"

"We are not friends." Weiss snapped, instantly regretting it. She didn't want to hurt Ruby, but she knew that solitude was the safest place for her and her team.

Ruby stepped back, shocked. "Weiss." She said, her voice barely a whisper. Ignoring her, the heiress gathered the rest of her things and quickly hurried out of the room. A second later, realization of what had just occurred hit Ruby. She cried after her partner. “Weiss,” and ran out into the hall. The heiress was nowhere in sight.

Now she was scared. Weiss hadn't treated her this way since the beginning of the school year. She opened her scroll, relieved that the first 2v2 matches of the day wouldn't be starting for another four hours.

A deep feeling of dread began to creep it’s way into Ruby’s heart. She was scared. Weiss was not the only one had suffered from bad dreams that night. The young leader had too. Something bad was gonna happen, and her instincts were screaming at her to find her partner at all costs. She grabbed her scroll and quickly dialed Yang and Blake, telling them to meet her in front of their dorm building. As she left for the rendezvous, she kept telling herself that it would be fine. As she took the steps to the bottom floor three at a time, however, she couldn’t help a shiver crawl it’s way through her whole body. There was something bad coming. Ruby _knew_. She didn’t know how, but whether it was instinct or intellect, it told Ruby that Weiss was in danger. She needed to find her and fast.

* * *

 

The heiress walked through the massive hallways near the classrooms of the school. There was no one around as everyone else, teacher’s included, were getting ready for the tournament later. Weiss found a spot at a juncture in the halls and slumped down against the walls. She didn’t know why the dream was affecting her like this. Maybe it was the way her teammates looked at her like she was broken, like she needed fixing. Or maybe it was the tone in Ruby’s voice when she finally woke up, as if she actually cared. Weiss didn’t need their help though, or their pity. When she left Atlas, she had promised herself that she would never succumb to those fears again, that she would survive no matter what. Yet, it felt as if there was nothing she could do to stop it. There was a darkness within her dragging her down.

She began to realize something. She would never escape the blood. She was bound to it, and it was bound to her father, to her family, to her name.

She wasn’t strong enough, not like Winter. She was held down by her childhood, and she knew it. All her life, no one had ever gotten close to her without having an angle to play, an end in mind. Of course, she had known her teammates now for almost an entire school year and did believe that they wanted to help, but she wasn’t ready to accept that it was out of genuine concern. Nothing had been strong enough yet to change what Weiss had been taught her entire life, and she refused to accept the fact that people weren’t in it for just themselves.

Her name resonating through the halls shook Weiss from her thoughts. Looking up, she sighed as Ruby, Blake, and Yang ran towards her from her left. The heiress sighed. Apparently, she would never escape them either. She quickly got up and composed herself.

“How did you find me?” Weiss snapped as soon as they reached her.

Ruby, the only one of the three teammates not trying to catch her breath, was the first to respond. “Team JNPR saw you come in here. Where have you been?” She quickly questioned. “We’ve been looking all over for you.”

“Does it matter?” Weiss shot back.

“We’re worried about you Weiss.” Yang exclaimed.

Ruby nodded her head. “Why are you acting so weird?”

Weiss was about to respond with another deflection when someone else spoke up. “Hello?” All four members of team RWBY turned towards the new voice to find a boy of about nineteen years of age standing a few feet behind Weiss. None of them had seen the newcomer approach and his sudden appearance alone instantly set all four girls on edge. He was about five foot eleven inches tall, with neat brown hair, and deep brown eyes. He wore the signature Atlas Academy uniform.

There was something off about the boy, all four girls could feel it. They didn’t know what it was, just that it was dangerous, yet somehow familiar. Yang, the only one of them to carry her weapons on her at all times, activated Ember Celica. The boy however didn’t even register the act of aggression, simply turning to Weiss and asking “Are you Weiss Schnee?”

“I am.” She responded, taking a step back. “And who are-”

“Good.” The boy simply stated before she could finish her question. He raised his fist, now surrounded in blue energy, and slammed it into the ground. A shockwave ripped through the air in all directions. As it passed over the four girls, they felt it, as if their aura’s nearly gave way simultaneously.

The boy immediately planted a kick right into a shocked Weiss’s stomach sending her flying backwards.

“Blake, get help!” Ruby shouted. Blake nodded, running back the way they came while Yang charged the boy. She started off with a right hook and followed up with an uppercut with her left, ending the move with a kick towards the boys face. The Atlas boy sidestepped both punches and easily blocked the kick.

He quickly countered, his fists like lightning. Yang barely dodged the first two punches, a third one only narrowly missing her face. She quickly ducked under his follow up roundhouse, striking back with three quick jabs, each a shot from Ember Celica. The boy dodged the first two again, but the third one caught him in the face, causing him to stumble back a few feet, otherwise leaving him unharmed.

Now the boy was done playing. His next kick came much faster than Yang thought possible, hitting her right in the face. She tried activating her semblance, but, for some reason, couldn’t. Reflexes slowed, Yang’s aura reserve was pretty much empty from whatever that shockwave was. Dazed by the kick and distracted by her blocked semblance, Yang didn’t see the punch to the face until it was too late. The impact stunned her. Grabbing the blonde by her hair, the boy slammed her head down into his knee. He finished her off with a straight kick to her stomach sending her flying into the nearby wall, the impact cracking it. Her aura finally giving out, Yang collapsed on the ground. The boy smirked, before turning towards his true target, only to have his face met with a black boot. Stumbling back a bit, he looked to find Ruby, fists up like her sister, yet obviously awkward and unsure of her skills in hand-to-hand melee.

“Run Weiss!” Ruby shouted, before being silenced by a punch straight to her jaw. Another to her gut caused her to double over. The boy quickly pushed her out of the way before stepping right up to Weiss, who hadn’t moved an inch.

His fist came right for Weiss’s face. She attempted to use her glyphs to propel herself backward, but the symbol simply flickered on the ground briefly before disappearing. The punch connected. She stumbled back. Hearing the click of a compartment opening, she looked. She saw the boy’s leg open and watched as he withdrew a gun.

“The Black Queen commands. Prepare to die.”

Weiss was frozen. She could not move, no matter what she tried. Whatever he did somehow, like Yang, blocked Weiss from using her semblance. The heiress could do nothing. She wasn’t fast enough to get away, nor was she capable of hand-to-hand combat. She was stuck. There she was, that scared little girl cornered against a wall, once more helpless to defend herself.

“Weiss!” Ruby shouted as the boy pistol whipped the white haired girl, then followed up with another kick right to her face. She stumbled backwards, what little that was left of her aura dissipating with that last strike. Ruby forced herself up. She couldn’t let someone she cared about die, not like this.

The boy raised the automatic gun towards Weiss. The girl could do nothing but stare back at the pistol in shock.

Ruby ran towards her partner as something clicked inside. She found just one more bout of speed. Her semblance activating, Ruby charged, tackling Weiss just as the boy pulled the trigger. Bullets and rose petals filled the air around them. Ruby and Weiss went flying, hitting the ground hard and skidding to a stop, Ruby on top. The landing had been rough, and Weiss appeared to be knocked out. Ruby herself felt a sharp pain in her side from the impact.

“Target lost. Relocating target.” She heard the boy say behind her. She started to get up, but that hurt even worse. A hand pushed her down.

“Stay down.” Said a familiar voice. Ruby turned her head just enough to see a designer glove on her shoulder. “Blake found us. I sent her with Fox to find Goodwitch. Now,” Coco chided, “Let us second years handle this.” The fashionista turned her attention to Team RWBY’s attacker. “Hey you!” Ruby heard the familiar sound of Coco’s purse expanding into chain gun mode. “Eat lead.”

The boy turned towards Coco and her team. Coco pulled the trigger and the air was filled with the sound of dust rounds firing continuously. The boy dodged out of the way just in time to be hit directly by Yatsuhashi’s sword to the side. This was followed by a roundhouse kick from Velvet. Yatsushi swung his sword in a downward arc, but this time the Atlas boy caught the blade. Velvet reacted quickly, kicking the attacker square in the back, causing him to drop to one knee. Yatsuhashi raised the sword once more and brought it down, but the Boy rolled out from underneath the strike.

Somewhere along the line the attacker had dropped his gun. Yatsu swung the sword around at the boy’s neck, but the boy ducked out of the way. He dodged Velvet’s next kick, throwing several punches at the rabbit faunus. Avoiding these, Velvet flipped out of the way, Yatsu stepping to the side. Now with a clear shot, Coco once more sent a volley of bullets at the attacker. The high caliber rounds seemed to ricochet off the boy’s skin, tearing the clothing on his arms, which he had crossed over his face. Coco stopped firing, allowing Yatsu to once more attack with his sword. Flipping out of the way, the boy narrowly escaped the attack. Velvet charged in sending two kicks towards the him. He dodged the first one, the second one connecting to his face. He stumbled back. Yatsu brought his sword and swung it in a single arc of destruction.

This time, the boy simply raised one arm at an angle. The sword hit it and slid across, deflecting the attack and tearing the rest of the sleeve off. Where the blade had struck, instead of normal skin, a silver sheen could be seen. Off balance by the deflection, Yatsu was unprepared for the immediate counter attack from the boy. As the attacker’s fist connected with his face Yatsuhashi stumbled back.

The boy quickly ducked under Velvet’s roundhouse before landing another kick to her back. Dodging Yatsuhashi’s next two sword strokes, he jumped, scoring a kick to the giant’s face.

They were getting nowhere and Coco had to think fast. She looked around, trying to find something to give them the advantage. That’s when she had an idea. Aiming her chaingun at the ceiling above the boy, she began a steady stream of fire. Both Yatsu and Velvet noticed what she was doing and understood. Yatsu charged from one side while Velvet came from the other. Both of their attacks were deflected, but the purpose was achieved. Though unharmed, the boy stayed in place.

“Clear out!” yelled Coco, and both Velvet and Yatsu dove in separate directions. Just then, the ceiling above the boy collapsed from the constant fire. The rubble landed right on top of the attacker, throwing a large cloud of dust in the air.

All three members of Team CFVY closed in on the rubble, weapons at the ready. Coco gave a sigh of relief. “I think it’s-”

She was interrupted by a faint blue light in the middle of the dust. It flew towards the ground, and, hitting it, created a shockwave that cleared away the cloud. It passed over all three second years, tearing at their auras like it had done to Team RWBY. In the middle of the rubble stood the boy, most of his Atlas uniform torn away. Instead of regular skin, however, the boy’s body was made entirely out of metal.

The robot charged straight for Coco. Collapsing her chaingun, she sidestepped his punch and ducked under his roundhouse. Swinging her purse, she barely missed her target. Yatsuhashi came from behind, intending to attack the machine from the back, but, just as he swung the blade overhead, the android jumped, dodging the blow. Landing on top of the blade, the attacker spun, landing a kick to Yatsuhashi’s face once again. Yatsu held onto his sword, trying to tear it from the ground and throw the attacker off. Instead, he simply launched the mechanical man into the air, allowing it to land on the giant’s face. Pushing off, the android sent the second year flying into the ground, the impact causing a small crater to form around Yatsu, effectively knocking him out.

Coco reactivated her gun, firing it at the android, who, ignoring the bullets, charged her. She quickly collapsed her gun yet again and prepared for impact. She went to block the robot’s flying punch, but was saved by Velvet, who intercepted it with a kick to the android’s face. Not even fazed, the android spun a kick of his own at Velvet, hitting her in the chest. Ducking under a swing from Coco’s purse, he launched a series of punches. Beginning with a right to the face, he followed with a punch to her gut. Dodging the first move, Coco wasn’t fast enough to step out of the way of the second strike. The punch caused her to double over. Finishing with an elbow to the back, Coco collapsed, what little was left of her aura exhausted.

The robot now turned to the last person standing: Velvet. As it approached, the bunny girl backed away. “Why are you doing this?” She pleaded.

The android stopped for a second. A gleam of intelligence shone in his eyes, revealing that he wasn’t just another mindless bag of bolts. “The black queen commands.” There was a pause. “New target assigned. Velvet Scarlatina.” Velvet eyes widened as she tried to activate her semblance, tried mimicking a weapon, but she couldn’t. Just like the others, her semblance was blocked.

She quickly dodged the android’s first punch, proceeding to duck out of the way of the second. She swung a kick at the robot’s face, which he blocked with his arm. Throwing another two kicks at him, both of which he deflected, she began to give ground. Finding a breach in her weakening defenses, the android dove forward, tackling Velvet to the ground. He rained punch after punch down onto the bunny girl, nearly knocking her out. He stood up, backing away for one final attack.

Velvet looked up at the android. He jumped. She closed her eyes and waited for the impact. It never came. Opening her eyes, she saw a single person dressed in green standing between her and her attacker, who had been thrown back.

“It is one thing to damage my school,” said professor Ozpin. “But to harm my students will only lead to your own destruction.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was originally posted on Fanfiction.net (still is). Thought I'd post it here as well.  
> So yeah, Review.


	3. Ch. 2: Lies and Secrets

Chapter 2: Lies and Secrets

 

 _"Lies and secrets…they are like a cancer in the soul. They eat away what is good and leave only destruction behind."  
_ -Cassandra Clare

 

It was the sound of battle that Weiss awoke to. She tried to move, but couldn’t and quickly realized why. Ruby was on top of her. “Ruby.” She said.

“Weiss,” the other girl answered, her voice quiet and difficult to hear. “You’re awake.”

“What happened?” There was a large crash and a cloud of dust rolled over them. “What’s going on?”

“You were going to get shot.” Ruby said. “I pushed you out of the way, and Team CFVY arrived. They told us to stay down.”

But Weiss wasn’t content to just _“stay down”_ so she tried to push the red-hooded girl off, but found herself pinned beneath her. “Ruby, get off of me.”

Ruby didn’t budge. “No. Now shut up,” the girl yelled uncharacteristically, shocking Weiss into silence. Ruby’s head was pounding. The pain in her side was getting worse, and with it came a sense of worry.

Just then Blake, Fox, Goodwitch, and Ironwood arrived, viewing the carnage before them. They saw Velvet on the ground with Ozpin in front of her. Upon seeing the attacker, Ironwood instantly recognized its identity.

“Marron.” He whispered to himself, recognizing the android immediately. “Ozpin-” Ironwood shouted.

“No,” The man in green interrupted, glancing over his shoulder at the new arrivals. He set his focus back on his enemy. “You’ll only get in the way.”

Marron immediately straightened up, looking at Ozpin. “The Black Queen commands.” It said in a robotic voice. “New target assigned. Professor Ozpin.” And with that it charged.

The robot was fast, but nowhere near as fast as his opponent. His attacks came like a hailstorm, but Ozpin moved in time with each one, dodging, blocking, and deflecting the attacks with ease. His movements were fluid. To Ozpin, it was a dance. Batting aside the android’s next attack, Ozpin landed a solid kick to his face, causing the robot to stumble backwards.

“Who is the Black Queen?” Questioned Ozpin. Instead of answering, Marron simply roared, charging the professor, sending a another volley of lightning fast blows at him. Blocking each one easily, Ozpin followed up with four even faster cane strikes. One to the knees, three to the chest, finishing it off with another kick to the android’s face. The robot toppled back once more.

His fist once again encasing itself in the blue energy, Marron punched the ground as hard as he could, creating cracks in the floor beneath him, sending the shockwave towards his opponent. The headmaster thrust his hand out and the attack parted around him. “I’m afraid that little trick won’t work on me.” Ozpin stated. Marron’s reaction was visible. Fear.

There it was again. That simple spark of intelligence. A flash of primal instinct. Ozpin recognized it instantly. “You don’t have to do this.” The Headmaster tried. This was no mindless robot. “I’ve seen your kind before. You have a choice.”

Marron laughed. “I have been denied my choice.” He shouted. The android charged once more in an attempt to get past the other man’s guard. His efforts were, as before, fruitless.

Ozpin blocked every attack Marron threw at him as if it were child’s play. His cane moved faster than the eye could see, redirecting and stopping each of the blows. Then, reversing the grip on it, the headmaster slammed the handle of his cane into the side of the robots head. He followed up with a kick straight to Marron’s chest, sending the false human flying into the wall. In less than a second, Ozpin was at the android, grabbing it by its throat, holding it up against the wall. The robot struggled beneath his grip, but could not escape.

“I will give you one last chance.” Ozpin pleaded. “Who is the Black Queen?” The android merely thrashed more in his grasp. The headmaster sighed. “Very well.” He whispered. Raising his cane, he drove the rod deep through the android’s head and into the wall. Ozpin could sense something depart from the construct.

“I’m…” Ozpin whispered, “so sorry.” Once the machine had stopped moving, he pulled his cane back just as easily as he had pushed it in and let the lifeless metal husk slump to the ground. His gaze immediately shifted to Ironwood.

“Ozpin, I can explain-” Ironwood began before a shout from behind drew both headmaster’s attention.

It was Blake. “I found Weiss,” she shouted as she ran over to Ruby and Weiss. The heiress had just succeeded in pushing Ruby off of her and was now getting up when Blake gasped.

“Weiss,” she shouted in a panic, reaching towards her teammate.

“Stop touching me.” The white haired girl snapped back, still dazed from being unconscious. Brushing off Blake’s help, the heiress began to get up, neither girl noticing Ruby was still on the ground.

“But, Weiss, you’re covered in blood.” Weiss looked down briefly, confused, feeling for a wound. It was true, the entire left side of her white dress was ruined, soaked crimson by the red ichor.

“What?” She whispered, barely audible. Rubbing her face, she tried to shake away the fog clouding her mind when she realized her hands were covered in blood as well. There was just one issue. Weiss wasn’t bleeding.

A cough from Ruby at their feet caught their attention. They quickly realized, it wasn’t Weiss’ blood covering the heiress, it was Ruby’s. “No,” Weiss cried, bending down next to her partner, Ruby’s black dress was soaked with blood as well, the deep red almost invisible against the dark fabric. “No... no… no… no.” Her words came out barely a whisper.

Ozpin was at their side pushing Weiss and Blake away from Ruby. “Glynda,” he commanded, “call the medics.”

“They’re already on their way.” She knelt down and pulled out her collapsed riding crop, flicking it out to it’s full length. She looked Ozpin in the eyes. He nodded.

Meanwhile, behind them, Weiss sat on her knees, unable to drag her eyes away from her bloody hands. The same blood that covered her side and was now all over her face. Blake stood a short distance away, unable to tear her shocked gaze away from her young leader.

Weiss was still trying to piece together what happened. The information swirling in her mind began to fall into place steadily. Everything going on around her felt distant. She heard Ozpin say something about medical equipment and the Atlas ship, but it didn’t fully register. It wasn’t until she heard the words, “take Ruby to the ship,” that she finally snapped back to reality. She saw Glynda pointing her riding crop at Ruby’s side and panicked.

“What are you doing?” She screamed as she tried to stop the combat teacher. Ozpin barred her way.

“She is buying us time. By directing the blood flow back through the veins, she reduces the amount leaving the body.” The headmaster said. He looked Weiss in the eyes, finding only fear and the anger raging beneath. “Weiss, if she doesn’t do this, Ruby will die.”

Her eyes widened. “Then why are you sending her with _him_?” She shouted angrily, pointing at the general.

“Weiss. With us she’s in-” Ironwood began.

“That _thing_ was an android and it was in a Atlas uniform.” She responded, not letting him end his sentence.

“Weiss, you’re in shock, you’re not thinking rationally.” Ironwood tried to reason.

The air around the heiress became much colder. There was a flicker of energy around her as whatever the android did to her and her teammates began to wear off.

“Will you all just shut up.” Bellowed Professor Goodwitch, sweat began to break on her forehead. What she was trying to do took an extreme amount of focus and precision which was hard enough without the arguing.

Weiss turned her anger back at the general when Ozpin placed his hand on her shoulder. “Ms. Schnee,” he said calmly, looking the heiress in the eyes, “We do not have the medical equipment here to save Ruby, nor do we have time to get her to a hospital in Vale. The Atlas flagship is our only option.”

Weiss began to panic. She didn’t know why exactly she was blaming the general. In reality, Ironwood was right, Weiss couldn’t think straight. But that didn’t mean she was gonna give up.

“How about this,” Ozpin said before the white haired girl could do anything. “Why doesn’t Weiss go up with Ruby to the ship.”

But Ironwood was already shaking his head. “Access to those ships is for Atlas military personnel only, I can’t-”

“I’m her partner.” Weiss shouted angrily.

Ironwood had had enough. “That isn’t relevant. The answer’s still-”

“What did I say?” Glynda interrupted.

Ironwood and Weiss stopped, both muttering under their breath. Ozpin let out a sigh. “You are taking Ruby up to your ship, but because she was injured in the line of duty, academy code dictates that the partner of the injured trainee is allowed full access. So, I’m afraid, General Ironwood,” he said, stressing his title, “you don’t have a choice.”

“Fine,” was all he said. The medics arrived seconds later and began prepping Ruby for transport. Glynda stopped her channeling, collapsing backwards. Ozpin caught her, helping her sit down. He stood and set a hand on Blake’s shoulder. The faunus’ gaze snapped to the headmaster, and the gray-haired man could see the resolution in her eyes. He quickly set her to the task of checking on the other students before turning his attention back to the matter at hand.

The paramedics picked up Ruby and started taking her to the ambulance outside where Weiss had already been sent. Ironwood went to move past Ozpin when he felt the other man grab his arm, stopping him. “Do not think this is over James.”

“Ozpin-”

“If she dies.” Ozpin continued, ignoring the general. “There will be hell to pay.” He let go and walked off.

Ironwood let out a deep sigh. He began jogging towards the outside of the building, getting there just in time to see Weiss strap Myrtenaster to her hip.

“You’re not bringing a weapon onto my ship.” He said as he sat down in the ambulance next to the heiress.

The white-haired girl simply ignored him, she didn’t care what he had to say.

In reality, he had no right to deny her a weapon. But Ironwood could tell she was angry, and he didn’t want her doing something she would regret.

“Weiss.” He started as the ship took off. “This isn’t my fault.”

“Will you just shut up,” Weiss screamed at Ironwood. Both paramedics looked up at the sudden outburst before turning back to stabilizing Ruby. Weiss looked back at her partner while the EMTs did their jobs. The heiress’ breath was uneven and her hands shook uncontrollably. Not only was she covered in blood, Ruby’s blood, but she probably had a concussion. She was confused, overwhelmed. She knew she was thinking irrationally, but she was in shock.

For the rest of the trip, both the heiress and the general were silent. Not once did Weiss’ hand leave her weapon.

* * *

 

Ozpin sat at his desk, thinking. Luckily, the rest of the student's injuries were not as severe as Ruby’s, although Velvet was more than a little bruised. He made sure all the students made it to the infirmary heading back to his office to plan his next action. It had been several hours since then.

There were many things on the headmaster’s mind. At the top of the list: who or what was the “Black Queen?” He had spent most of his time searching for the answer, and had come up with several possibilities. Immediately, Qrow’s original message had come to mind, but the grey haired professor doubted that the “Queen” Qrow had referred to was behind the attack, as he had no indication that Salem even knew of Ruby’s existence, let alone have reason to kill her. That left some other entity, and attacker being an android signified a possibility that technology, and in turn, the network, was involved. His desk beeped, notifying him that someone had arrived in the elevator. “Come in.” He said.

The lift’s door opened and out came a student, Logan Amboss, a first year at Beacon and a member of Team OPAL. He was a medium sized boy, only five foot nine. He had dark brown, almost black hair, sharp features, and fair skin. He could have been called handsome if it wasn’t for his crooked nose and a long, jagged scar that ran down one side of his face. He wore basic grey plate armor, and on his right shoulder was emblazoned the image of a simple anvil.

“Mr. Amboss,” Ozpin began, putting a smile on his face, “Why don’t you sit down.” Shuffling over, Logan nervously took a seat. Despite the circumstances, Ozpin always found the way students acted around him amusing. “Now, Mr. Amboss, it has come to my attention that you have some experience breaching the school’s security network.”

Logan stiffened. This was exactly what he was afraid this was about. “I wouldn’t say… experience.” He said, avoiding eye contact and mumbling the last word.

Ozpin raised an eyebrow. “Really? I believe last month’s incident with the lunch schedules proves otherwise.” Logan shrunk in his seat, not trusting himself to speak. “Of course, having only pizza in the cafeteria for a week is hardly reason for expulsion.” The headmaster said. Logan brightened. The headmaster donned a knowing smile, “Although, locking Cardin Winchester out of his own room certainly caused some grief.” Logan should’ve known he was wrong.

Ozpin’s face grew serious. “But none of that’s important at the moment. I require your assistance.” he continued, activating his computer, opening a command prompt, and gesturing for Logan to come over.

“Assistance?” The first year questioned cautiously, getting up and standing next to Ozpin. “With what?”

“Diagnosis.” Ozpin stood up, allowing Logan to take his place. Walking to the window, the professor continued. “I believe something has embedded itself in the CCT tower. Something… malignant.”

“And you want me to find it.” Logan said, more of a statement than a question.

“Indeed, I believe your semblance makes you uniquely qualified for this task.”

Logan was dumbfounded. “How did you-”

Ozpin turned to him. “Do you really think I believed you broke through one of the most secure firewalls in Remnant without some form of help?”

“No, I…I guess not.” He said turning back to the desk. “Here we go.” He took off his left gauntlet, placing his now bare hand on the cool glass. He let out a sharp gasp as his semblance began to work.

Ozpin gazed out of the window and laid eyes on the _Kalypso_ , Flagship of Atlesian Fleet, Pride of their Military, and General Ironwood’s personal command ship. Nearly one and half times as big as the already massive Atlas assault cruisers, the _Kalypso_ was uniquely qualified as more of a mobile fortress and base of operations than an attack ship. That was where Ruby and Weiss were taken, and Ozpin was worried. In reality, there was no proof that the android had come from the _Kalypso_ , let alone the Atlesian military. However, something told Ozpin that, although the general was most likely not behind the attack, he was the reason the robot was in Vale. And if that was the case, than the _Kalypso_ was where it was kept.

A yelp from behind him drew his attention. He turned around just in time to see Logan’s eyes snap open and his hand fly off the console. The look on the first year’s face was one of sheer terror.

“Logan,” Ozpin said, crossing over to the boy. “Logan,” he repeated, this time placing his hand on the boys shoulder. The first year snapped around, shaken from his momentary panic. “Did you find something?” Logan simply nodded his head, a look of shock on his face. Ozpin raised an eyebrow in a question.

“Okay.” Logan said, taking a deep breath and regaining his composure. “Check this out.” Making sure to put his gauntlet back on first, Logan turned back to the desk. Initiating the command prompt, he began typing lines of code. His fingers moved like lightning. Eventually he stopped, pressed enter, and then proceeded to type a much smaller line of code. This time when he initiated it, it activated the holo projectors in the room.

Suddenly the office was filled with blue lines of data going everywhere, forming a massive grid. It was thickest in the middle of the room. “This is the CCT mainframe here at Beacon.” Typing another command, the display zoomed in on the large cluster at the center. It kept zooming until it had reached the heart of the mainframe.

Ozpin couldn’t believe his eyes. “What in the world is that?”

Whereas, farther out the strands of code all went in straight lines either vertically or horizontally, here, at the heart of it all, everything was twisted and knotted. Lines of code formed what could only be described as tendrils and growths, all coming off of a single massive queen chess piece at the center. Almost everything flowed through it, all except what looked like  a single line of code going from one side of the room to the other, passing only briefly through one of the flowing tendrils.

“When you said something had embedded itself in the system,” Logan began, “you weren’t wrong. But, it’s not just a virus, not anymore.”

“What do you mean _not anymore_.” Ozpin said.

“It’s rooted itself so fully in the tower’s programming, it’s more like a tumor. It’s part of the system now.”

Ozpin spotted the single straight line of code. “What’s that?” He asked.

“Oh. That?” Logan said. “That’s us. I disconnected your terminal from the main cluster of data, but still gave us an access point, so we can monitor them but they won’t know it.” He continued, gesturing to the tendril their line of code went through. “That’s not the half of it, though. That giant queen, it’s feeding all the information it gathers to a single place and then controlling our system with any commands it gets in return.”

Ozpin stayed silent for a brief moment before continuing. “The question then, is how did it get into our systems without our detection.”

“That’s the thing that is a bit odd,” Logan began. There was a lot about the structure of the virus that the boy didn’t understand, but what he did recognize he was hesitant to share with Ozpin. The professor could see he was holding back and gestured for the first year to continue. Logan took a deep breath. “Okay, so in programming there can be hundreds of different ways to write a single command, and they all produce the same result. Well, this leads to different people having different, as you would call them, styles or languages, in the code. This includes anyone from third party programmers to hackers, and even governments. This… thing,” he gestured to the giant queen piece. “This virus, it is written in Atlesian Military code. I recognize it from when their army dudes first got here.”

At this Ozpin sighed and turned towards the window, casting a glance at the _Kalypso_. “Can you find where it is feeding?” Ozpin questioned after a moment of silence, his eyes ever fixed on the Atlas flagship.

“I might be able to.” Logan said. After a few moments of typing, a red window popped up on the screen. “That wasn’t me,” Logan shouted, hands flying away from the keyboard.

Ozpin turned back towards the boy. “What is happening?” He questioned.

After a brief pause Logan spoke up, excited. “We are receiving the data being sent through the virus.” He read the message the computer was giving him. “Whoever is controlling it, they’re sending a message to someone else.” He spent the next minute typing lines of code into the command prompt. Finally, there was a ping, and a new box appeared.

“There.” Logan said, satisfied with himself. “I not only intercepted the message, I traced it back to an administration scroll. It appears to be owned by,” he read the name, “someone named Cinder Fall. Why does that sound familiar?”

“They fought in the tournament.” Ozpin said. He was glad that it had not led back to Ironwood, though he did wish to know why the virus had been created in Atlas.

“Uh, sir.” Logan said, drawing Ozpin’s attention back to the console. “I think you need to read the message.” The boy got up, allowing his headmaster to sit down. Ozpin’s eyes widened when he read what it said.

The message was a report to someone labeled “the Queen.” It detailed the event that had happened earlier, when the android had attacked Team RWBY. It was alerting whoever it was addressed to about some kind of change in “plans.” It then contained a new list of 2v2 rounds, the very rounds that were supposed to have been randomly generated at the beginning of each section of the tournament.

“It seems that the culprit has been rigging the fights.” Ozpin said aloud. Logan was about to say something when the headmaster deactivated the holo display. “Thank you Mr. Amboss,” Ozpin stated, gesturing towards the elevator. “I think I am capable of navigating the computer from here.”

Logan stuttered. “Uh...yeah...anytime.” He began walking away.

“Oh, and, Mr. Amboss,” Ozpin called after him, “Please be discreet about this matter.”

“Yes, sir,” Logan said as he entered the elevator and left the office, a little shell shocked.

Ozpin sat down at his desk with even more questions than before. Who was this Cinder Fall, and if Qrow was right and this was the person responsible for Amber’s condition, what would be her next move? He was drawn from his thoughts by a notification. It came up in a warning window, activity from the virus, except this time, it came from an outside force. It was a message for Ozpin from an unknown sender. Ozpin’s eyes widened.

 

_Be careful who you trust_

_\--As was the beginning…_


	4. Ch. 3: The Shortest Passion of Our Souls

Chapter 3: The Shortest Passion of Our Souls

 

_“Rage is the shortest passion of our souls.  
__Like narrow brooks that rise with sudden showers,  
__It swells with haste and falls again as soon.”_  
-Rowe

 

_“Breaking News”_

_“At approximately 10:00 this morning, Team RWBY of Beacon was attacked by what  has been described as an android disguised as a student from Atlas. A total of six students were involved in the conflict, one gravely injured. When we last heard, the student, identified as Ruby Rose of Team RWBY, was in critical condition and was en route to the Kalypso for treatment. Her current condition is unknown.”_

_“Because of the attack, the 2v2 rounds of the tournament that were previously scheduled for today have been postponed until tomorrow. It is still unknown whether or not Team RWBY will continue on in the tournament.”_

“Turn it off.” Yang said, her voice thick with anger.

_“It is currently-”_ Blake closed the scroll. Yang was leaning forward towards the window, hands placed on the bookshelf, eyes looking out towards the Beacon Air Docks. Blake sat on the edge of her bed, unable to look away from her teammate.

While Velvet was set to stay the night, Coco, Yatsuhashi, and Yang had been released from the infirmary about an hour earlier. In the meantime, the remaining two members of Team RWBY had gone back to their dorm to await news on their leader’s condition. At this point, they knew as much as the networks did.

Silence passed between the pair. Blake wanted to speak up, to try and help the person she considered to be her best friend, but something held her back. What right did she have to console Yang? She hadn’t been in the fight. She wasn’t there when her the brawler was brutally beaten. She wasn’t there when Ruby was shot. No, instead, she ran. Sure, her leader had told her to do so, but Blake knew that didn’t matter. She should have stayed. She should have fought to defend her friends. Maybe if she did, things would have turned out differently. Maybe Yang wouldn’t have become so shattered, maybe Ruby wouldn’t have been…

Blake stopped herself. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. The faunus had learned long ago not to play around with what if’s and regrets. But still, she couldn’t stop herself from asking the question, what if she had stayed? She spared another glance at Yang, who hadn’t moved from her spot at the window. She wanted with every fiber of her being to speak, to say something, anything at all. Yet, try as she might, nothing came. She cast her eyes to the floor. Blake was ashamed. Her very being screamed at her to flee, but try as she might, she was stuck.

A ding from her scroll drew Blake away from her thoughts. She ignored it. Another ding. She grabbed the small device with frustration and opened it. The messages were from Sun. The first was a picture of a cheesy cat poster with a kitten hanging from a branch, the letters in big font saying “HANG IN THERE.” She couldn’t stop a small smile from crossing her face. Then she read the message sent below it.

_-but even if you fall, there will always be someone to catch you._

Blake stared for a minute at those words before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. What was she doing? She had been through this same thing many times, always alone. And every time she would deal with the problem by running and avoiding it at all costs. But this was different. Not only was she not alone, but now she had others depending on her. Yang was breaking, Blake knew she was. But still, here the faunus was, wallowing in her own self-pity, acting as if she was the one who pulled the trigger on Ruby.

Blake stopped. Although she had recognized that her friend was hurting, to this point she had failed to consider just how much pain Yang was in. Did the blonde blame herself for what happened? Blake let out another breath, casting her eyes to the floor. Of course she did. From what Blake knew of their past, Yang had pretty much raised Ruby. She had seen how protective the older sister could get with their leader. And now, not only to have Ruby severely wounded, but also to be denied access to her… all of this must have devastated Yang. The faunus quickly made up her mind. She shifted her gaze back to her teammate just in time to see the brawler’s fist slam into the wall.

“It’s not fair,” Yang screamed, noticeable cracks appearing where she had struck.

Blake jumped to her feet. “Yang,” she shouted. A wave of heat washed over the faunus as the blonde turned on her, eyes blood red with anger.

Yang thrust her hand towards the _Kalypso_ , the flagship having just come into sight of their window. “I should be up there.” Yang said at full volume. “Not that stupid heiress.” She screamed the final word, bringing a fist down into the bookshelf, cracking the thick top board. Yang’s arm went up for a second strike, and Blake quickly stepped towards her, hand shooting forward to grab the other girl’s wrist.

“Yang stop-” Blake tried again, but Yang simply swung her other  towards the faunus. Keeping hold of her partner’s wrist with one arm, Blake quickly blocked Yang’s blow with the other. Jerking the blonde towards her, Blake quickly stepped to the side, leaving a shadow clone in her place. Yang flew forward, meeting no resistance. She stumbled, catching herself a moment later.

“Yang, you need to calm down and-” Blake began.

“Shut up,” Yang bellowed, swinging her right arm towards the faunus. The cat girl ducked underneath it, and was just fast enough to sidestep the jab the blonde made with her left. Blake’s hand, lightning fast, shot out and grabbed her teammate’s wrist. Yang tried to break free, but she was exhausted, and it showed. She swung her left arm at Blake in rage, but her partner simply caught the other wrist as well. Then, in a move the brawler didn’t expect, Blake pulled Yang forward and wrapped her arms around her in a tight hug. The blonde’s eyes widened as she let out a strangled gasp.

“Please… stop.” Blake said, her voice barely a whisper. Looking over the faunus’ shoulder, Yang glanced at her hands, now shaking. A choked sob forced it’s way from the brawler’s throat as she realized what she just tried to do. She returned the hug as more tears escaped her. The blonde sank to the floor, Blake following suit. Through the racking sobs, Blake could make out apologies for what she had just done. They stayed there for what seemed like forever. Yang continued on venting to Blake. crying out that she couldn’t lose Ruby, that she wasn’t ready yet. She had promised to protect her and she failed and this was all her fault.

Blake simply stayed in reverent silence, listening to the blonde crying on her shoulder, comforting her when needed. Her sobs dying down, Yang eventually separated from her partner. The faunus noted that the brawler’s appearance clearly reflected her mood. Yang’s eyes were rimmed red and her face was splotchy from the crying. Her runny nose made quite the mess on both her face and Blake’s shoulder, even finding it’s way into the blonde’s normally immaculate hair. Yang sat, back against the bookshelf while Blake was propped up against her bed, both girls still on the floor.

They stayed there, neither of them speaking, for what seemed like an eternity. Blake glanced occasionally at her teammate’s eyes. They carried a sense of defeat to the faunus, and it frightened her. Eventually the silence became too unbearable. Gathering the courage, Blake asked softly, “So what now?”

Yang scoffed, looking away from the other girl. “You can do whatever you want. I’m just gonna stay here.” She began to get up.

“But what about the tourna-” Blake began calmly as she to rose to her feet.

Yang’s anger flared once again and, eyes flashing to red, she turned back to her teammate, screaming. “What about the tournament?” Blake instinctively took a step back. The blonde’s rage crumbled immediately, giving way to what was truly lying beneath it all, shame. She once again looked away as she walked to the desks on the other side of the room.

“We can’t just forfeit.” The faunus pleaded as Yang reached the desks. The brawler set herself against one of the chairs as Blake continued. “Yang, I need you. Weiss-”

Yang sent the chair tumbling to the ground with a crash before turning back to the faunus girl. “Weiss is where I should be right now.” The tears threatened to return, and Yang closed her eyes and took in a deep, shaky breath, trying to remain in control. Leaning on the desk to stabilize herself, the blonde made contact with Blake. The anger had once again left her now lilac eyes, and in it’s place Yang’s shame festered. “I don’t want to fight anymore.” She said, her voice laden with grief.

Blake was taken aback. She had never expected Yang to give up. But here she was, ready to surrender. She tried to think of something, anything to change the girl's decision. One last option came to mind. “Fine.” Blake’s voice was now steely cold. “We will have to talk to Ozpin.” She walked to the door and turned, seeing that Yang had yet to move. “Come on.” She said, her voice void of emotion. And with that she opened the door and left.

Yang scoffed, waiting a brief moment before finally gathering the strength to move. She followed her partner out before slamming the door behind her.

* * *

 

Immediately after docking with the _Kalypso_ , the medics rushed Ruby to the OR while Ironwood ushered Weiss into the corresponding observation room. As soon as she entered, however, the heiress heard the door shut behind her and the mechanical seal lock into place. She pounded briefly on the metal barrier, before giving up and turning her attention to what lay beyond the large, one-way glass window.

The heiress watched the doctors and androids operate on Ruby for a time. She saw them cut and sew flesh as they worked against the clock to save the huntress-in-training’s life. There was so much red, and eventually Weiss was forced to look away. It took them three hours, and as far as Weiss could tell, they had stabilized the young girl. However, when the doctors and androids finished on Ruby, they neglected to release her from the observation room. She watched them leave, screaming at them to let her out, with no response. The heiress was now on the ground, back against the wall opposite the door. It had been an hour since then, and her head now lay on her knees, face buried. One hand was wrapped around her legs pulling them closer to her, while the other lay at her side tightly gripping the handle of Myrtenaster.

Weiss was angry. She didn’t know where Ruby was or how her leader was doing. The observation room was freezing even by Weiss’s standards. She had a splitting headache, and her body shook all over. She couldn’t tell if it was because of the cold air, or if she was still feeling the aftereffects of shock. But either way, all in all, the heiress was miserable.

Voices outside the door pulled her attention. Suddenly she was alert, recognizing one of them immediately as General Ironwood, though she couldn’t make out what he was saying. She  readied herself into a crouched position and raised Myrtenaster.

There was a loud _THUNK_ as the mechanical lock on the door released. As soon as it slid open, Weiss sprung into action, flinging an energy bolt from her weapon towards the doorway.

General Ironwood had just enough time to lean out of the way of the attack. He looked back to see it hit the wall. Turning his attention back to his attacker, he found the tip of Myrtenaster at his throat. Weiss kept moving forward, forcing the General into the hall and up against the wall. All of her focus was on Ironwood, not even acknowledging the two guards on either side of the door now pointing weapons at her.

Ironwood gave both men the order to stand down. The soldiers lowered their weapons. “Weiss-” The general began.

“Where is Ruby?” The heiress’s voice came out in a hoarse whisper. Her hand was shaking, her aim unsteady.

“Weiss,” Ironwood repeated, voice calm and collected. “Lower your weapon.” He did not fear the huntress-in-training, especially in her current state.

“Where is Ruby?” Weiss shouted, pressing the tip of Myrtenaster against Ironwood’s throat, his aura keeping it from doing any real damage.

Ironwood needed to calm Weiss down. He didn’t want things to get out of hand and for the young heiress to get injured. “Weiss, I will take you to Ruby. But before I do that I need you to lower your weapon.”

Weiss, anger still in her eyes, took a shaky breath, and started to back away, only to end up tripping over her own feet, causing her to fall backwards with an umph. Ironwood shook his head, realizing just how exhausted the girl was. He stuck out his hand to help her up, but the heiress just batted it away and stood on her own.

“Now,” Ironwood began, unaffected by the young girl’s rejection, “these guards will take you to get cleaned up. I had my men retrieve a set of your clothes. They will be waiting for you-”

“I thought you said you were gonna take me to Ruby,” she shouted, cutting him off.

“I will, but first you need calm down and get cleaned up. You won’t be any help to Ruby in the state you’re in.” Ironwood was right. Looking down, Weiss saw she was still covered in her partner’s blood. The once vibrant red was now dark and crusty, causing her clothes to stiffen where they had been soaked. Her hands were stained brown from the blood that had covered them, and her tears had cut streaks through the layer on her face.

Weiss let out a deep breath.

Ironwood sighed. “Weiss. Remember that you are a guest on this vessel. I didn’t want you here, but for your sake and for Ruby’s sake I have no choice.” He bent down and stared Weiss in the eyes, their faces nearly touching. “You listen, and you follow the rules I set. Understood?”

Weiss scoffed. She wanted to say no, to yell at him, to scream, but she was just too exhausted. She didn’t have enough energy to fight back, so instead she simply looked away and muttered, “Fine.”

“Good.” He stood up straight and nodded to his men. The pair of soldiers cast glances between one another and ushered Weiss down the pristine hall way. Ironwood watched them round a corner before letting out a pent up breath. Some would mistake his actions against Weiss in the past few hours as cruel and insensitive, but in reality, Ironwood pitied Weiss. He too had been there, watching a friend be mortally wounded, not knowing whether they would live or die.

The general sighed. He really hadn’t planned on keeping the young girl locked up for so long. But he also hadn’t planned on having non-military personnel aboard the _Kalypso_. The massive flagship held many secrets, things that not even Ozpin knew about. He prefered to keep it that way. He had spent the past four hours ensuring that if the young Schnee was to wander around, she wouldn’t find anything he didn’t want her to. It was a precautionary move, of course, he didn’t plan on her being alone or free to explore. He fully intended to keep her contained, spending most of her time inside the infirmary with Ruby.

Once Weiss was out of sight, Ironwood set out for the storage area of the ship, where the android had been kept. His walk was burdened by both anxiety and exhaustion. None of this was supposed to happen. He brought the creation to Vale as a test. It’s sibling was doing quite well, and Ironwood still had hope that they would “rehabilitate” Marron. He never intended for it to activate on it’s own and attack a group of students. He walked into the now sealed lower decks of the ship, having ordered all men away from the zone so that he could inspect it when he had the chance. He was going to get to the bottom of what happened, no matter what.

* * *

 

Weiss followed the soldiers through the twisting halls and corridors of the massive flagship until eventually they came into what looked to be the private quarters of the ship. They stopped in front of an officer’s room, the lead guard informing her she could use the shower within.

The heiress thanked the man with a nod of her head before entering the room. It was sparse and barren, the only furniture inside being a basic military bed and a dresser to store personal items. On the bed lay folded a towel and one of her spare outfits, and to her left was the door to the bathroom. She grabbed the clothes and went through the door. It wasn’t unlike the dorm bathrooms back at Beacon: a toilet, a sink, a mirror, and a shower stall. The only thing different was the atmosphere, though Weiss couldn’t place why. Was it the apparent emptiness provided by the white tile floors and walls, compared to the light blue of the Beacon dorms, or maybe the almost sterile feeling of the stainless steel sink and toilet. Perhaps it was the glaring fluorescent ceiling lights that seemed to buzz ever so quietly that it was more like a feeling than a sound. Weiss hadn’t the faintest clue, but whatever it was, it creeped her out. The girl quickly undressed and switched the water on. Once it reached the desired temperature, she stepped in.

She let out a slight gasp as the streams of water enveloped her, the near scalding temperature in direct contrast with the freezing cold air of the Atlas Ship. Though most would be discouraged by such a drastic temperature change, Weiss embraced it. The hot water seeped into her aching muscles, releasing them. She took in a deep breath of the steam filled air, and began to wash away all signs of what had occurred. As she did this, the fog in her brain cleared away, and after everything that happened so far, all the heiress could ask herself was why. Why did the android attack? Why was she it’s target? And, most importantly, why did Ruby have to risk her stupid life to save Weiss only to die in the process?

The heiress watched solemnly as the ground beneath her turned a dark brown as the blood caked onto her hands, side, and face were rinsed off her body. She tore her gaze from the dreary sight, quickly reminding herself that Ruby wasn’t dead, not yet anyways. But still, Weiss knew how this would end. It would end how it always did. She had begun to care about Ruby, against her better judgement, and now the girl would die. Or she would blame Weiss. Either way, she’d lose her. The heiress slumped back against the wall of the shower and slid down until she was in a curled up against the stainless steel surface as the now warm water pelted her from above.

This is how it was her entire life. Those she grew close to either died by the hands of her family’s enemies, left her for something better and safer, or, as was usually the case, revealed their true colors, that they only wished to manipulate her and use her.

Over the years Weiss had grown accustomed to the pain, to the abandonment, and, even in recent years, learned to enjoy the solitude. This was why she pushed so many people away. It was safer, for both them and her. Bonds like those were a weakness. By attaching themselves to someone so completely, people only put themselves at risk and held themselves back. They shackled themselves in chains. By gaining something to lose, people gave away a piece of their free will, creating a bond that allowed not only the other person to have power over them, but anyone else who has the strength to act on that bond. Weiss had never really experienced love, not real love. Power, on the other hand, was something she understood all too well, it was something she could not let go, not when she had so little already and especially not when it came to the power of her own free will.

“Why,” Weiss whispered, once again asking the simple question, as if expecting an answer to come from somewhere, anywhere. She let her head fall back against the stainless steel of the shower wall, closing her eyes and allowing the now cold water to come down over her face. Weiss shivered, but made no attempt to move, simply allowing the cool water to run across her body, sapping it of heat, of feeling. She was exhausted, yes, but more than that, she was mad. Mad at Ironwood, at her father, and at the robot that attacked her. But the person who she was angry at the most was Ruby. Her partner shouldn’t have been so rash, so stupid. She shouldn’t have wasted her life on saving… shaking her head Weiss reminded herself once more that her partner wasn’t dead.

At this thought, she placed her hands over her face, rubbing it as she let out a deep breath. She looked forward and saw a distorted version of herself in the glass door of the shower. The image wasn’t all to clear, but she could just make out her pale skin, flawless in everyway except the faint scar over her left eye. The heiress stared into the distorted reflections of those two pale blue eyes, looking away as she began to rework the entire scenario in her head. What would have happened if Ruby hadn’t shown up? Weiss would probably have been killed. She deserved it after all. She pushed Ruby away, screamed at her, told her they weren’t friends. Still, the crimson cloaked girl had saved her, but for what reason, Weiss had no idea. Setting her head once again against the now cold wall behind her, Weiss came to the only possible conclusion. She owed her life to her partner, and whether she wanted to or not, that debt would have to be repaid.

Weiss decided that there was nothing she could do about that at the moment. She turned off the shower, dried her body, and got dressed. Looking in the mirror, she once again caught a glimpse of that scared little girl; she saw the broken gaze and the shattered hope that lied beneath the surface. She felt the sudden urge to shrink away, to find some dark place to hide from her own reflection.

The white-haired girl sighed. She had one more person who now held power over her life. It was a burden she must carry, a weight that she already felt dragging her down. Whether Ruby meant to or not, she added one more link to the chains that bound Weiss to her already heavy shackles.

The heiress shook herself from her reflection and headed toward the door, something inside still eating at her, a worm of doubt burrowing its way through her subconscious. The ever present thought, maybe she was wrong, wrong about all of it, about power and friendship and connection and control.

As soon as Weiss left the showers, the guards escorted her to what she could only guess was the infirmary wing. They quickly ushered her into a room before closing the door, the lock immediately engaging in place. Weiss sighed. She was getting tired of being trapped in rooms. She turned around, taking in her surroundings. The space was small but not cramped. There was cabinets on the right wall holding basic medical equipment, with a sink below them. The center of the room was dominated by a simple hospital bed. Weiss’ eyes widened. An empty, simple hospital bed. Her anger flared as she realized she’d been tricked again. Understanding that she was stuck with no way out, Weiss did the only thing she could do. She sat on the edge of the bed to wait.

A while later, the sound of the door unlocking drew Weiss’ attention, her hand flying instinctively to rest on the handle of Myrtenaster.  She was now in enemy territory, and she wasn’t in the mood to give second chances. When the metal door slid open, however, it did not reveal Ironwood, or even a doctor, but a basic medical android. Behind it, the door slid closed, and the young girl could hear the thunk of the mechanical lock once again.

Weiss’ anger flared. She took it as a personal insult that even after locking her up for over four hours and continuously keeping her from her partner, they still seemed to lack the self-decency to face her in person. The heiress really had had her fill of androids for the day, and she had half a mind to simply destroy the machine. But, after taking a deep breath, she calmed herself down. Now, with a clear mind, she decided a new tactic was in order.

“Ms. Schnee, I have been instructed to-” The robot began, voice robotic and fake.

“I thought I was being taken to Ruby,” Weiss questioned in her most demanding ‘heiress’ voice.

“Do not worry,” the android began, “I have been instructed to merely perform a final check up of sorts. You will then be taken to your partner.” The robot didn’t wait for Weiss to respond, instead heading toward the cabinets to retrieve medical equipment.

Weiss just stayed looking forward, trying to control her rage. Taking another deep breath and closing her eyes, she reasoned with herself that it would all be over soon. In her contemplation, however, she failed to notice the violent shiver that traveled through the android, nor did she see the robot proceed to set down the examination tools it had gathered and instead withdraw a syringe gun from the cabinets and a small clear vial labeled prototype from a compartment on its side. The machine placed the contents of the glass tube within the injector, and turned its focus back to its patient.

The sudden ringing of her scroll stole Weiss’ attention. Opening the device, the heiress looked at the caller. It was professor Ozpin. Her hand went to answer it when her arm was suddenly grabbed by the Android. “Hey,” she shouted, trying to jerk away from the machine, but she stood no chance. The grip was as iron. She felt the sharp prick of an injector gun and the hiss as its contents were emptied into her body. The quick pain was enough of a surprise to cause Weiss to drop her scroll onto the floor. The android simply released the heiress and stepped quickly back.

“What was that?” She questioned, the call from Ozpin now forgotten. She suddenly felt very dizzy, whatever she had just been injected with immediately hitting her system.

“Do not be alarmed, it is only a… mild… sedative.” Spoke an entirely new, much deeper, and clearly human voice.

Weiss’ eyes widened as she swayed momentarily from where she sat at the edge of the medical bed. She could barely hear the robot as it spoke one last time, _“As was the beginning, Ms. Schnee, so shall be-”_ It’s final words were lost on her. Weiss felt the distinct feeling of falling forward as her mind was swallowed by the darkness.


	5. Ch. 4: Of All the Liars in the World

Chapter 4: Of All the Liars in the World

 _"Of all the liars in the world, sometimes the worst are our own fears."_  
-Rudyard Kipling

Blake and Yang walked in silence towards the CCT Tower, tension thick between them. As they traveled, Blake noticed all too well the way people would look at them, how they would mutter to their friends after the pair had passed. All this attention, this pity, made her skin crawl.

The faunus girl had multiple reasons for wanting Yang to continue on in the tournament. For one, she had never seen the brawler give up so easily. It, in a way, disturbed her, to see such a strong soul reduced to nothing but lowliness and despair, something she had seen far too many times in the past. More importantly, however, Blake wasn't sure she could look Ruby in the eyes if the young huntress-in-training learned that the reason Yang gave up on the tournament was because her little sister got injured. It would shatter the young leader if - Blake stopped and corrected herself - when she returned.

The faunus had to remain strong. If Blake allowed herself to fall into despair alongside her partner, then there would be no one left for Ruby to return to. She glanced discreetly back at her partner. There was fire raging in the blonde's features, however it was without the familiar heat that Blake had grown accustomed to.

She sighed. She wasn't used to comforting people, especially in situations such as this, and she knew she wasn't very good at it. A part of her, a fairly large part in fact, wanted to agree with Yang, to just surrender the tournament. But she also knew that that was the wrong course of action. If she did that, Blake would just be running away again.

With that thought, the appeal of fleeing struck her once again. Yang was angry, yes, but she was also lost to her own thoughts. Blake could simply slip away. She would be long gone before the blonde even noticed she had left. The urge hit her hard to do just that, and it was even harder to resist this time than it had been previously, but she needed to stay strong, if not for herself, then for Yang, for Weiss, and, most importantly, for Ruby.

As they neared the tower, the she reflected on just how much the young leader had changed her. Blake was not the same faunus who arrived at almost a year ago. She had grown more accepting of people, more brave, and more trusting, in no small part due to Ruby. There was something about the crimson cloaked girl that had amazed and inspired Blake ever since the events in the Emerald Forest so many months ago. It felt, at times, as if Ruby was born to be a leader, and unlike her former mentor, who used fear to command those under him, Ruby lead by inspiration. She stood with those who followed her, not above them, and never forced someone to do that which she wasn't willing to do herself. She was courageous, kind, and willing to do what was right no matter the cost, always putting the needs of others before her own. Blake sighed. Ruby truly was like the heroes from the fairytales.

A sudden collision tore the faunus from her thoughts. She recovered, having only stumbled backwards. Lost in her own thoughts as she had been, Blake only now realized that they were right in front of the CCT Tower's entrance. She then cast her eyes down to the ground, meeting the gaze of the boy who had run into her. He wore white armor with an anvil emblazoned on the shoulder. She kept eye contact for a few seconds before the boy looked away.

"Blake," the boy stuttered, "I am so sorry. I got distracted and I didn't see you-" He trailed off as he got to his feet, waiting for a response from the black haired girl.

The faunus, however, remained silent. There was something about the look in his eyes that set her nerves on end. It wasn't the look of someone who simply made a mistake. His entire being seemed to be upset. Perhaps it was the tension that gripped his whole body as he stood, or the disconnected look in his eyes, as if his mind was somewhere else entirely. No matter the reason, that worry seemed to spread to her. She shook it off, forcing herself to focus.

Pushing past the boy, Blake ignored him completely, leaving him dumbstruck as she entered the CCT Tower, Yang following close behind her. The lobby itself was fairly empty. Several guards patrolled the ground floor, while a couple students could be seen typing away at the center pillar workstations. Ignoring them, the pair made their way to the elevator, entering it and hitting the button for Ozpin's office.

The ride up was silent as both girls waged separate battles in their minds. The entire walk from their dorm room, Yang had been fuming. She was angry. Angry with Blake, with Weiss, with Ironwood. And in her anger, she wanted nothing more than to release the dragon within, to go on a rampage, to destroy. To show everyone just how wrong they were to keep her from Ruby. There was just one problem. The dragon inside had died.

The blonde closed her currently blood red eyes and breathed deeply as the cold, empty feeling in her heart continued to spread. She could sense the movements of the elevator, feel the tension as the cables strained to pull their small metal box up to the top of the tower. Opening her eyes, Yang glanced through her perifiels towards Blake. The faunus didn't notice, clearly lost in her own thoughts.

The blonde released a deep breath. She wished she could somehow make Blake understand why she was doing this, why she couldn't go on. Yang simply didn't see the point in continuing on through tournament. She was far too busy preparing for the inevitable… Ruby's death. The blonde's fists clenched at the thought.

Everyone she loved inevitably left her. Yang's birth mother. Summer Rose. Even her own father. After Summer's death, Yang's dad simply shut down. He was there physically, but it was very apparent that his mind was always somewhere far away. He had lost his drive, his will to keep going. He had become a simple husk of his former self. And while recently he had made significant improvements, Yang would never be able to shake the feelings of abandonment that haunted her for so long. This, combined with the likeliness that he would just shut down again if Ruby died, filled Yang with a deep sense of dread. It took all of her strength to keep herself from crying. But then again, what else could she do. In the end, everyone one she loved inevitably left.


	6. Ch. 5: I Touch the Fire

Chapter 5: I Touch the Fire

" _I touch the fire and it freezes me  
__I look into it and it's black  
__Why can't I feel, my skin should crack and peel  
__I want the fire back."_  
-Walk Through the Fire, by Joss Whedon

Ozpin's scroll buzzed every few seconds, as he hoped beyond hope that the young heiress would pick up. When it finally disconnected, he sighed, placing the now closed device on his desk before grabbing his mug and turning his chair to look out the window. His dark, tired eyes fell instantly upon the  _Kalypso_ , the massive ship silhouetted black against the setting sun. It was a terrible blemish in an otherwise beautiful sky.

Somewhere aboard that ship were his students, and while Weiss' failure to answer didn't prove that either of them were in danger, it certainly did nothing to calm Ozpin's feelings of worry. The headmaster shifted his eyes away from the ship and took a sip from his drink, the hot, brown liquid tingling his throat, grounding him in reality. With a sigh, he set the cup down.

The older man had at least expected to receive some kind of word from the General on how the two students were faring, but every attempt so far to contact the man had failed.

As the thought of Ironwood lingered in his mind, so did the message Ozpin received several minutes previously.  _Be careful who you trust_. This warning, coupled with the series of files attached to it, caused the headmaster plenty of concern. But it was the final words that followed it all,  _as was the beginning,_  that were far more dangerous than any possible suggestion of betrayal. Turning back to his desk, Ozpin placed his head in his hands.

 _As was the beginning…_ A simple phrase, five words. Five words which Ozpin had hoped never to hear again. Five words that even now, after so many years, so many lifetimes, were enough to strike fear in the heart of the grey haired man. If this message was any indication of things to come, then his troubles, and all of Remnants, were about to get a whole lot worse.

Ozpin's desk beeped several times, alerting him that someone had just arrived in the elevator. Odd, he wasn't expecting any visitors. Still, the older man had no reason to turn them away, so he straightened up in his chair, calling out "Come in."

To his surprise, the lift doors opened only to reveal the remaining two members of Team RWBY. "Ms. Belladonna, Ms. Xiao Long," he greeted them before gesturing to several chairs set to the side of the room. "Please, sit down."

Ozpin, over the many years of his life, had grown quite skilled at reading the emotions and behaviours of people, and now observed both girls closely as Blake crossed the room to retrieve their seats. Her movements were burdened by both tension and exhaustion, and a silent sadness seemed to fill her red rimmed eyes. Yet still, underneath the weariness Ozpin could sense a quiet determination and a frightening sense of calm. Her partner, on the other hand, had no such feelings. The intensity and desperation that the blonde brawler felt seemed to roll off of her in waves. Her whole body was like a steel wire strained to its limit, waiting to snap at even the slightest ounce of pressure. Her eyes, no longer crimson, were cloudy and cold, and the fire that used to burn brightly behind them was gone.

By now, both Yang and Blake had taken their seats. An eerie silence crept over the room, as neither girl wished to be the one that spoke first. Several moments passed of this before Ozpin spoke, his voice full of sympathy. "If you are here for information on Ms. Rose or Ms. Schnee, I am afraid I cannot help you. General Ironwood has yet to inform me of their conditions. I did attempt to contact Weiss directly moments before your arrival, she did not respond."

He watched for both girls reactions. As he expected, worry shot across Blake's face, while anger crossed Yang's. "Do we know what happened?" The faunus said.

This was enough to cause Yang's rediscovered rage to bubble over once again. "What happened is she's a stuck up, self righteous brat-"

"Yang," The headmaster began, beginning now to rub his fingers on his temples.

"-who doesn't actually care about Ruby, or us, or-"

"Ms. Xiao Long," Ozpin yelled. The uncharacteristic actions caused the blonde to immediately shut up as she and Blake saw a mixture of both guilt and exhaustion flood their professor's eyes, disappearing quickly after. It was, to say the least, shocking. To both students, Ozpin had always been a figure of absolute confidence and composure. Neither girl had ever seen him lose his calm, and it was in that moment that they began to realize just how much the events of that day had affected the older man.

Ozpin let out a tired sigh, standing, one hand holding his mug, the other behind his back, and turned to face out towards the docks, moving to the edge of the overlook. "I will ask you to not speak ill of your teammates, Yang," He said over his shoulder before shifting his gaze back towards the  _Kalypso_  in the distance. "It will only serve to divide you further, which is the last thing any of us need."

Silence filled the room as Yang's anger was once again consumed by shame. After a few moments, and a sip from his drink, Ozpin's voice rose up again. "Is there another reason you both came to see me." His voice was quiet now, yet cold and commanding, and it lacked the feeling of compassion it had held when they first arrived.

Yang opened her mouth to speak, but no words came. What was wrong with her? Why couldn't she bring herself to do such a simple thing. The brawler looked towards her teammate with a silent plea for help. The faunus simply looked away and stood.

"Professor." The black haired girl spoke. Ozpin turned just enough to look her directly in the eyes and gestured for her to continue. "Yang wants to withdraw Team RWBY from the Vytal Festival Tournament…"

It was clear to Blake that both Yang and Ozpin could hear the 'but' at the end of her statement. Her headmaster replied with a simple "And you?" The brawler looked towards her teammate, suspicion growing inside.

Blake refused to make eye contact, which didn't help reaffirm Yang's faith. The faunus took a deep breath, gathering the courage she needed to continue. "I want you to change her mind."

Yang shot up from her seat, her violet eyes rocketing to crimson almost immediately. "What?" She yelled. "You said-"

Blake turned towards her teammate. "I know what I said, but I can't let you do this to yourself, to our team."

This only served to anger the blonde further. "I can make my own choices. You have no right-"

" _Girl's_." Ozpin yelled once again, his voice cutting clearly through their shouting. "Sit down." Both students listened. Placing his mug on his desk, the older man took a seat himself breathing deeply. After a short pause, he turned to the faunus. "Blake. If you would be so kind as to wait in the lobby downstairs, I wish to talk to your partner… alone."

The girl's amber eyes widened. "But professor-" She tried to protest.

"Blake." He said simply, his voice quiet, his face absolute as he stared the young student down. There was a brief moment of silence before the faunus finally resigned, giving a quick nod of the head before crossing swiftly to the elevator.

As soon as she was gone, Yang spoke. "I've already made up my mind." Her eyes darted away from the the headmaster's, unwilling to meet the older man's gaze. "You can't change it."

While laced with anger, Yang's words hid something much deeper. There was pain there, Ozpin knew. Pain and… something else he couldn't quite place. He adjusted his glasses. "I never intended to try." He said, his words soft, as a comforting smile crossed his lips. Grabbing his warm mug, he took a sip of the liquid inside before continuing. "How are you feeling Yang?"

Red eyes shot up. The blonde's voice rose in both intensity and volume as she spoke. "How am I feeling? Are seriously asking that?"

Ozpin's smile faded, and he was quick to cut his student off before she lost control. "Ms. Xiao Long. Settle down." Yang shrunk into herself once again. Ozpin released a tired sigh. "I would ask you not to yell at me, Yang. I am only trying to help."

"If you wanna help, just please," her gaze met Ozpin's. "Don't make me fight."

Ozpin gave a single nod of his head before setting his mug on the table. "We will get to that. Now, like I said, how are you feeling?"

Yang breathed. What was he, a therapist? But still, he was the only one that could grant her wish. She steeled herself. "I'm tired." Tired of the questions, tired of sympathy, tired of pity. Tired of the feelings of heartbreak that gripped her soul and tried to drag her down into darkness. Tired of the strength it took to move past the pain, the strength it took to live. "I'm so tired." Yang's voice caught as her head fell into her hands. Her words themselves said very little, and yet they spoke volumes to Ozpin.

He chuckled, albeit a little forcefully. "Well, I'd imagine. After your day, you must be quite exhausted." He gave her a smile. A second passed. Then two, three. Ozpin let out a long, measured breath and let the smile drop. "So, what now? You're just giving up?"

Yang growled. "What does it matter to you if I fight?"

"I'm not talking about the fight." Ozpin's reply was quick, yet at the same time, it held a gentle honesty. It cut through Yang's rising anger like a hot knife. She stared at him in shock, before turning away, suddenly fully aware of what he meant.

"You should have more faith in your sister, Yang. She's stronger than you give her credit."

"So was Summer." Yang's voice was a whisper, yet it reached Ozpin's ear quite easily.

So that was the problem. This entire situation somehow reminded Yang of Summer. Of losing not only her mother, but her father as well.

"Ruby's injuries, while severe, are not entirely unmanageable. True, she lost a lot blood, and the bullet likely caused a bit of damage, but neither of those things guarantee death. Not anymore." Yang's eyes never met his as Ozpin continued. "You should not give up hope so easily."

"Why not?" the student exploded. Her voice immediately dropped after. "It's far better than being disappointed."

Silence reigned as Ozpin grimaced. It broke his heart to see such a headstrong girl act so helpless. He had walked where she now stood, teetering on the edge of the abyss. He knew that alone, she didn't stand a chance against her own darkness. He knew what he needed to do.

"What if I told you, Ms. Xiao Long, that I have been where you are now." She scoffed. "I had a sister once, and a brother." With that Yang's expression shifted from resentment to one of confusion. She had never heard of Ozpin having siblings, and way he had said "once" suggested past tense, as if they were gone. Her attention now on him, the headmaster continued.

"It was many years ago, after a great battle. My brother, sister, and I had been tasked to defend that which our father and uncle had created. In the end, our enemies were defeated, but there was no victory that day, not after all we lost." His eyes grew dark as he recalled his harrowing tale. "When it was over, my brother abandoned both his duty and his family, and left. Even to this day, I know not what became of him."

There was a pause. Yang's voice arose, meek, lacking any of the fire and poison it held earlier. "And your sister?"

Ozpin grimaced. "Dead."

It wasn't exactly what happened, but the girl needn't know the details. "I was left alone to fulfill the task our father and his brother had given us. At the time, it was as if the weight of the world had been placed on my shoulders, a weight, I felt, I was not prepared to bare. I shrunk away from that burden, abandoning hope, and the world I had fought so long to protect. I became as you are now, bitter, without purpose or drive. I became cold and lost inside." He rose from his seat, choosing to face the horizon rather than the young girl that reminded him so much of his own past mistakes. "Still, to this day, my choice to flee haunts me." He steeled himself, turning slightly to stare at Yang. "It is the dark regret of abandoning one's duty and loved ones that I wish to protect you from, Yang."

The older man's words cut the young brawler to her core. Something about his story rang true deep within her, and that made his words all the more frightening. "Why are you telling me this? You surrendered, didn't you? You gave up." Her features hardened. "And if you couldn't move on, what chance do I have?"

Ozpin sighed, turning back to face the window. "I am telling you this Yang because I  _have_  moved on. However, I couldn't do so alone." Yang went silent, waiting for him to continue. "For many years after, I had locked myself away, refusing to face the world I had chosen to turn my back on. Then, one fateful day, I found a young girl sitting beneath a tree outside my home." He chuckled softly, as just the thought of the memory seemed to lighten the dark gloom that had fallen upon him. "It would be the actions of that girl and her three sisters that would eventually rekindle my hope. They showed me the power it held, and that while I would never regain the people I had lost, nor the years I had wasted, I didn't have to let that control the time I had left."

Silence reigned, disrupted only by the sound of the clock above their heads.  _Clunk…Clunk…Clunk..._ Ozpin could feel the tension in the air, sensed the war that raged within the blonde behind him. Whether or not he got through to her, he couldn't say.

In truth, Yang felt like she was fighting a losing battle. She wanted so desperately to believe the older man, but it couldn't be that simple. Life was never that simple. Just feel hope? Hope couldn't save Ruby. Hope wouldn't bring Summer back. If hope hope couldn't change anything, what good was it?

"So it's that easy, huh? Just feel hope and everything will be better?"

Ozpin chuckled, turning back to once again to sit across from the young student. "Now, I never said that, did I? You're right, hope alone will not save your sister. But if you give up now, if you surrender your hope, then who will be there when your sister returns?"

"But you don't know if she'll return." Yang yelled in outrage, shooting to her feet with enough force to knock her chair back. It hit the ground with a loud  _Clang_. The brawler, who's nerves were already at their breaking point, spun around and stumbled back, right into Ozpin's desk, the sudden contact only causing her to jump back once again.

The headmaster shook his head. Yang looked at him, desperation in her eyes. He needed to wrap this up. He gestured for her to once again resume her seat. She did so, fully aware of what transpired and how it made her look.

"Hope's true power, Yang, lies not in performing miracles. You train at this school to becomes huntress, to gain the skills and the knowledge needed to protect our world from evil. But the most powerful advantage we have against the darkness is not our aura or our weapons or our semblance. It is our hope." He grabbed his now warm beverage and took a sip. "It is mankind's will to survive, to look towards tomorrow and believe we can build a better future."

"But how?" Yang cried softly.

"It's as simple as this. Ice cannot consume fire, nor can fire consume ice. Neither force can defeat the other without risking destruction themselves. Likewise, while hope alone will not defeat the darkness, as long as we have hope, the darkness cannot destroy us, not entirely. But while darkness is eternal, Yang, hope is not. It must be fed and nurtured. Without the proper care or fuel, hope, like a fire, will slowly dwindle and disappear."

The blonde grimaced. There was once that burning flame within Yang, but like when her father lost Summer, Yang's raging fire had gone cold. She wanted desperately to believe in the words of her headmaster, to hope that tomorrow might be just a little bit better, brighter.

She looked past the older man towards the setting sun before turning her eyes to the floor. "The fire's gone." She said simply, hoping he would understand, hoping he would feel sorry for her and just give her what she had wanted in the first place.

Ozpin's response was to smile, but it was not a smile of pity, nor of condemnation. It was one of a father who cares deeply for his children. "Did you forget already what I've told you? You're fire may have turned black and cold, and alone I guarantee you it will stay this way. Hopelessness breeds hopelessness, despair breeds despair. Instead seek to rekindle your fire with the help of those around."

"Who then? Can you fix this, fix me?" The desperation in the young girl's face was enough to shatter Ozpin's heart, but he simply shook his head.

"I cannot give you what seek, Yang." Her gaze dropped, and the resignation she felt was near palpable. "However, I do believe a certain faunus waiting down stairs would be glad to lend you her fire till yours is relit."

Yang nodded her head in understanding. "I've been a real jerk to her, haven't I."

"It would seem so, wouldn't it. However, I think she'll forgive you." Yang's eyes rose to meet his. There was flicker, a bit of that everburning fire once again, albeit small. She may have not even noticed it herself, but Ozpin saw it, recognized it. "Whatever you decide Yang, I will support you. All I ask is you think on it. If, in the morning, you still wish to withdraw from the tournament, then so be it, but consider what we've talked about." The headmaster spun in his chair to face the window behind him. The Kalypso was nearly out of sight by now, having circled about halfway around the tower. Without its presence, the light from the horizon, a beautiful mural of purple, red, and orange, pointed towards a better tomorrow. A day of hope, of progress. "You owe your sister that much."

Yang nodded, and stood. After placing the two now empty chairs back by the edge of the room, she walked to the elevator. She pressed the button and stood in silence as she waited for the doors to open. When they did, before she entered, she turned back to her headmaster, who still had his back to her, looking out the window. "Thank you, Professor Ozpin." The older man raised his hand in a simple sign of acknowledgement. Taking that as his final response, she entered the elevator, the doors closing behind her.

Ozpin sat, still gazing towards the horizon, hoping, praying for the better tomorrow his young students desperately needed.

* * *

The first thought in Blake's mind when she reached the bottom of the tower was what had she done? Not only had she lied to her partner, but she also handed her over to the headmaster and left. What kind of teammate was she? Even after almost two semesters, she still had a lot to learn about having friends.

The faunus spent the next several minutes pacing the bottom floor of the CCT tower. However, after she had begun to receive weird looks from both guards and students, she decided maybe she'd be better off just meeting Yang at the dorm. Pulling out her scroll, she found the contact, sent a quick message and left.

The way back to their room was relatively quiet. Lost in her thoughts, time passed relatively quickly, and before she knew it, she was standing outside the familiar door. All she had to do was swipe her scroll and enter, and yet…

"Blake?" A voice from behind her asked. Turning around, the faunus came face to face with the invincible girl herself. Pyrrha was standing in the now partially open door to the her own dorm, a look of concern written on her face.

"Hey." Was Blake's only response, her exhausted mind and strained nerves only adding to her antisocial qualities.

Pyrrha moved the rest of the way out of her room, closing the door behind her with a quiet click. She crossed her arms nervously across her chest. "How're you guys holding up? Where's…" She didn't finish the sentence, but faunus knew what she meant.

"Yang's meeting with Ozpin. She's not in trouble." Blake said, adding the last part in response to the worry that flashed across the red head's face.

"That's good." Silence. "May I ask why you're standing in the hall?"

There was a nervous care in the way Pyrrha spoke. If Blake had been less at her wit's end, she probably would have found it funny. Voice aside, she was right. It was highly unusual for one to just stand in front their door doing nothing, especially for someone like Blake, who was only seen by others when she had to be. The reason was stupid, so she might has well just say it. "It's just… It'll be quiet in there, without Ruby and Weiss."

Pyrrha understood immediately. The red and white duo had always had an interesting relationship. The playful way in which they bickered had become such a regular part of their lives, without it…well, the silence would deafening to say the least. She placed a comforting hand on Blake's shoulder, ignoring the way the girl tensed at her touch. "They'll be back in no time. We just gotta have faith in them. Besides, Ruby's a lot stronger than most give her credit. She'll pull through."

Blake couldn't help but smile softly at Pyrrha's boundless optimism. It was an unique outlook born not of innocence, like Ruby, but of experience.

"Thank you Pyrrha."

"Anytime." The redhead responded cheerfully before heading back across the hall to her own door. Swiping her scroll, she reached for the handle. "And Blake." The Faunus turned around, meeting emerald green eyes. "If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask." Blake nodded, before unlocking her own door and heading inside.

The room was empty. She didn't know why she expected otherwise. Crossing to the bookshelf, the Faunus traced a hand over the cracks from Yang's earlier outburst and sighed. They were supposed to be a team, and yet here they were, everyone of them divided. Ruby unconscious, Weiss somewhere with her, and Yang pushed to breaking. That left Blake to pick up the pieces, to hold the team together. She just didn't know if she was up to the task.

A knock behind her drew her attention. Turning, she came face to face with Yang, the blonde standing in the open door. "Hey," was all she said, entering the room fully and closing the entrance behind her. She looked tired, far more so than she had earlier, as if all the energy had been drained from her. The faunus grimaced as the blonde sat down on. This was her fault. She had caused her partner to suffer more pain, and for what?

"Yang-"

"Blake-"

Both girls stopped, having spoken simultaneously. The blonde laughed. Blake smiled. She could see the action had been forced, but at least her partner was trying. Sitting on the edge of her own bed, Blake stared at her teammate, neither girl wishing to speak next.

"Blake." Yang said finally. "I shouldn't have treated you the way I did. I realize you were only trying to help, I just…" She trailed off, at a loss for what to say next.

Blake was quick to come to her rescue. "No, I shouldn't of went behind your back like that." She hesitated, unsure whether she should continue. She stopped herself. This was Yang, her partner. There was no reason to hesitate, no reason to hold back. "During my time in the White Fang, there was a rule that if a member had been compromised, emotionally I mean, or physically, that we report them the higher ups. I guess... I was just falling into old habits." She looked up, expecting anger. Instead, she found nothing. Yang had turned her head towards the window, a blank expression on her face as she looked out at the coming dusk. The  _Kalypso_  was nowhere in sight at this point.

Looking at her solemn partner's expression, Blake felt a shiver go down her spine. She knew the look on Yang's face. It was a look she wore far too often during her days in the White Fang. The drive to escape, to flee. To run from the problem, simply because it was far easier, far less painful than trying to face it. She wanted to say something, to somehow comfort Yang, but again she found herself at a loss for words. In silence, she rose, defeated, and walked slowly towards the bathroom.

"Blake." She heard her name called and turned. Yang stared at the opposite wall, that same blank expression on her face. "Do you… do you think… Ruby…" Yang struggled with her words as she tried to halt the flow of tears. Blake quickly crossed to her and sat down, her earlier hesitation forgotten.

The faunus wrapped her arms around the girl and pulled her into a hug, and for the second time that day Yang cried into her partner's shoulder. She cried for Ruby, for the mother who ran, and the mother who died. She cried for her father, for the pain that he felt and the pain that he caused. But most of all, she cried for herself.


	7. Ch. 6: Shall We Not Revenge

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> UPDATE 04/26/2018: The next chapter is going up on Saturday, 04/28/2018.

Chapter 6: Shall We Not Revenge

 

_“If you prick us do we not bleed?_  
_If you tickle us do we not laugh?_  
_If you poison us do we not die?_  
_And if you wrong us shall we not revenge?”_  
-William Shakespeare

 

Yang sat, eyes closed, as the shuttle carried her to the arena. She was preparing herself, organizing her thoughts, preparing to do what needed to be done. She felt a hand encircle around her own. Opening her eyes, Yang glanced to her left. Her partner, Blake, was staring at her in concern.

“We don’t have to do this.”

Yang grimaced. “No. We do.” Her voice was calm yet it stung like ice, and the menace that ran through it sent shivers down the faunus’ spine. All Blake could do was nod.

Yang began to shift her gaze around the rest of the crowded shuttle. Most of it was filled with regular students and civilians. Ordinary people living ordinary lives. She envied them, in a way. To them, this was a day to celebrate, to partake in friendly competition. They took for granted the world that now threatened not only Yang, but her family. Her eyes turned red like fire, and she smiled with rage.

The world was trying to break her. To bend her down and make her call defeat, and it almost succeeded. The day before had been one of the hardest she had in a long time. But Blake had pulled her from the depths of misery. She had relit the fire. It was small still, and she had plenty of darkness within still fighting for control, but now the dragon was back, and rage burned away the despair in her heart. She wasn’t going to let the world take what little family she had left.

“Yang,” Blake whispered harshly. The blonde returned to her senses and looked down. Her hand was grasped tightly around Blake’s, a little too tightly in fact. She let go, her eyes turning lilac once again.

The faunus smiled as she rubbed her now aching hand. Overnight, the blonde had turned her sadness into anger. It wasn’t the best way of dealing with the situation, but Blake prefered it far better to the empty shell from the previous night.

The blonde smirked, rubbing the back of her head. “Sorry ‘bout that kitty cat. I just got a little lost in thought.” Her smile disappeared as quickly as it had come. “We have to win this Blake. For her.”

Yang didn’t need to say that she meant Ruby. It was obvious. Her partner nodded her head. “We will, Yang. We will.”

They sat there in silence. It wasn’t long until the they heard the _clunk_ of the docking mechanisms.

Blake stood up and began to head towards the exit when she noticed Yang hadn’t followed. Turning around, she found the blonde still sitting, staring at the floor. “Yang.”

“I’m coming. I just…” Her voice was weak, and when Blake met her gaze, she was shocked by the pain. It wavered for the briefest seconds. The brawler closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, allowing the cleansing breath to clear her mind. _In…and out._ She stood. “Let’s win.” With a nod from Blake, the two set out for the armory to prepare.

They walked down the curved, white halls that made up the interior of the Amity Colosseum. They passed several students, but none paid them any attention, not like last night. They were equals here. There would be no pity from them.

“I bet it was one of those Faunus pests from Vacuo.”

Blake stopped dead in her tracks as her ears flicked beneath her bow. Faunus pests? Those words alone were enough to send the outwardly calm girl’s blood boiling. Her eyes flicked around to the other students in sight before falling on a tall boy in sterling silver combat gear. Six-two, military cropped platinum hair, and a large scar going across one eye and down his left cheek. All of this, combined with the look of arrogance and self importance, marked the kid as Atlesian. But there was something wrong. Her eyes narrowed. She swore she had seen his face before, yet she didn’t know where.

“Why would they go through the trouble of opening your locker just to not take anything?” The boys friend, wearing lighter, less flashy armor and a mask covering the bottom half of his face, spoke softly. By his tone, it was obvious he was the more reasonable of the two.

“Blake?” The faunus ignored her partner’s question.

The older boy scoffed. “I don’t know. I told you, it was probably some Faunus scum who was too scared to actually finish what they started.”

Blake took a step forward, hands curled into fists. She felt someone grab her shoulder, and her vision snapped to Yang. The blonde gave her a pointed look, mouthing “ignore them.” Blake nodded. Her partner was right, she needed to focus. She could deal with these ignorant fools later. With one final glance, she moved forward, determined to take the high road. Of course, taking the high road didn’t stop Yang from “accidentally” bumping into him as they past.

The boy stumbled before yelling to the back of Yang’s head. “Watch it blondy.” Ignoring the remark, the pair continued down the path towards the goal.

As the boys disappeared around the bend of the hallway, Blake came to halt. “Yang…” she said softly grabbing the blonde’s arm. “Thank you. It’s hard… when I hear things like that.”

Yang smiled. “If anyone knows what getting mad feels like, it’s me. Those guys are just idiots. Now come on.”

Yang was right. She needed to focus on the here and now, but there was something still bothering her. That boy, the one with the platinum hair, Blake had seen his face before, and for some reason, the sight of it sent cold shivers of dread down her spine.

“Yang,” Blake began, unsure of her words.“That boy…I…” No. That boy didn't matter. What mattered was Ruby and Weiss. What mattered was winning this for them, for their team.

“We should steer clear of him. Okay.”

Yang looked at her oddly. “Um, sure. Now let's go.” And once again they were off. But as they walked, Blake couldn't shake the feeling of dread gripping her heart.

Eventually, they reached the armory. It was a rather spacious room, lined with the lockers of anyone still competing. Making their way towards their designated section, Blake couldn't help but notice they were some of the few students left in there.

“We better hurry.” she said to Yang. Her nerves were on edge, as they always were before a fight. She crossed to the metal container and began putting in the code to open it. As soon she did, she grabbed the ever familiar handle of Gambol Shroud. The metal was cold. It helped steady Blake’s beating heart and narrow her senses.

“Hey Blake.”

The faunus spun around, Gambol Shroud switching immediately to pistol mode.

The large man before her through his hands into the air. “Don't shoot, please don't shoot.” Five foot nine, beat up grey armor, a symbol of an anvil on his shoulder. She sighed, lowering her weapon as Yang broke out laughing beside her.

Putting his hands down, the boy rubbed his arm nervously. “What do you want?” Blake snapped rather harshly. To be fair, she was preparing to go into battle. In fact, they all were preparing for battle. But by the way the boy was acting, he didn't get the memo.

“I just wanted to apologize…again…for yesterday.”

Yesterday? What had he done yesterday that… then it clicked. “You're the kid that bumped into me.”

He chuckled nervously as Blake turned back to her locker to retrieve the rest of her gear. “Yeah. That was me.” Silence. For a second, the faunus thought he had left, but when Blake turned back around, he was still standing there.

“Can I help you?”

He stumbled on his words once again before taking a deep breath. “Look, I know our teams aren't terribly close, not like you and JNPR, but I wanna let you know, my teammates and I, we're here for you. When that…thing attacked you guys, it didn't just mess with Team RWBY. It messed with all of Beacon. And Team OPAL,” he said with a casual smile and growing confidence, “we look out for our own.” Blake was surprised. The clumsy, awkward look he had when he first arrived had disappeared, replaced by determination and loyalty. He was serious, and that alone meant more to Blake than the boy could ever know.

“Logan.” A voice called from the entrance.

The boy, or Logan, as Blake just learned, shouted a quick “coming,” before turning back to the pair. “That’s Olive, my team leader. Best of luck out there. Show ‘em what Beacon’s made of.” And with that, he was gone.

That was… not what Blake was expecting.

“OPAL.” Yang said as she finished putting on her gauntlets. “Don’t you know the faunus on their team?”

Blake nodded. “Yeah, Alizarin.” She sheathed Gambol Shroud and placed it on her back. The feeling of dread hadn’t disappeared, but it wasn’t nearly as strong. “They’re good people, all of them.”

“Kinda weird though.”

Blake laughed. “You’re one to talk.” Normalcy had been restored. A tension both Blake and Yang had been holding within had began to disappear. They were ready at last.

“He was right about one thing though.”

Closing her locker, Blake turned to her partner. “And what’s that?”

Yang smiled. "We’re gonna teach them just what happens when you decide to mess with Beacon Academy.”

* * *

 

Professor Ozpin stood at the edge of the waiting room, watching roughly thirty students mill about. Some sat quietly, eyes closed as they readied themselves in silence. Others talked with their neighbours, seeking a distraction from the inevitable nervousness building within them. No matter how they did it, all prepared for the coming battles in their own, unique ways. Normally, he’d watch the tournament from the comfort of his office, but today was an exception. He was there to personally see the remainder of Team RWBY off. That, and he wanted to keep a close eye on a certain team from Haven. After discovering the virus, the professor had it in his complete power to rerandomize the tournament. However, after much deliberation, he decided not to tip his hand just yet.

His eyes fell on Emerald, one of Cinder Fall’s lackies. He smiled. Making students sweat was one of the best parts of the job, and this was no exception. The dark skinned girl kept glancing at him, a little too nervous by his presence. The door swung open, attracting both Ozpin’s and Emerald’s attention. Team RWBY had just arrived.

The entire room went silent, and both Emerald and her partner Mercury looked like they were about to have heart attacks. Of course, while he didn’t want to tip his hand to the enemy just yet, that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to leave them a few surprises.

“Yang!” A voice screamed from the middle of the room. Students of all kinds were either pushed aside or run down as Nora Valkyrie charged towards the blonde. The red haired force of nature tackled the brawler in a bear hug, and Ozpin couldn’t help but chuckle as he began his approach.

Yang pushed Nora off of her and stood up. The red head was bouncing up and down, bursting with excitement.

“Yang, Blake, I’m glad you could make it after all.” Pyrrha said as she approached.

Blake look confused. “What do you mean after all?”

“Well…”  the invincible girl stumbled on her words.

“We’d been told that you guys weren’t competing.” Nora finished.

Yang frowned. “By who?”

“By me, I’m afraid.” Four pairs of eyes turned towards the newcomer. Blake was the first to speak.

“Professor Ozpin. What are you doing here?”

The older man smiled. “I thought I’d come see you off. Besides, I hear the games are all the more stunning in person, and thought I would come see it for myself.”

“What’s this about us not competing.” Yang said, somewhat accusingly. It had been Ozpin that they’d gone to in the morning to confirm they were still going to participate. If they weren’t on the roster, then…

“Not to worry, Ms. Xiao Long. Yesterday, I simply took the precaution of alerting all teams of your withdrawal so they may prepare themselves, in case that was the path you wished to take. I can assure you, as soon as you saw me this morning, I put your name back on the roster.” Of course, his goal in doing this wasn’t simply to inform the students. The sudden reentry of team RWBY was meant to cause panic for the enemy, and so far, he thought it had done a pretty good job.

At Ozpin’s words, Yang relaxed.

“Now, I wish you the best of luck, Team RWBY. You have come far already, overcoming the trials of yesterday, but you mustn’t stop their. You have a chance to win this, to prove to Remnant the strength of your will, but even if you fail, you tried, and that is what’s important. Remember that, and learn from the defeat. If you do this, then nothing, neither Grimm nor Man, will have the power to break you.” After two semesters with Ozpin, both girl’s had gotten used to his speeches. It was normal, and normal was exactly what the they needed. Pity, compassion, and sympathy all had their places, but what the remainder of Team RWBY needed was drive.

“We’re not gonna fail professor, I can promise you that.” Yang said, and Ozpin couldn’t help but smile. What he saw in her eyes pleased him. The dragon was back, and it was hungry for revenge.

“Well, I best be going.” And with that, he was off.

Blake watched him as he left. “I get the strangest feeling sometimes…”

“Almost like he knows something he’s not telling us?” Pyrrha said with a smile.

Blake laughed. “Yeah, something like that.”

_“Welcome, everyone, to the 2v2 rounds of the 40th Vytal Festival Tournament.”_ The whole waiting room went silent as they heard Professor Port’s voice over the loudspeaker.

_“Shall we begin the randomization process.”_ Oobleck continued. Thirty-two pairs of eyes found their way to the various monitors placed on the walls of the waiting room as images blurred like a slot machine. No one knew who would be chosen, not even Emerald and Mercury, much to their chagrin. The first two portraits stopped.

_“Team RWBY of Beacon verses…”_ In that moment, the briefest of seconds between their image and the next, Blake’s heart filled once again with dread. Then the final two images stopped. _“Team GLCR of Atlas.”_ And there upon the board were the two boys they encountered in the hallway, only now, she recognized the face of the silver haired one, and just the thought of it made her blood curdle in rage.

His name was Grayson Eis.

* * *

 

Blake sped down the hallway to their start point, her mind racing a mile a minute. Why? Why here, why now? What was with her past and its refusal to stay where it belonged.

“Blake.” Yang yelled, calling after her partner. Though the faunus was walking, Yang practically had to jog to keep up. “Blake,” She reached out and grabbed her partners arm.

Blake spun around and attempted to wrench her limb free. It didn’t work.

“Look at me”

Blake struggled. “Let me go.”

“I said look at me.” Blake finally stopped and stared her partner in the eyes “What was that, huh? They decided the match up and you just charged out. No explanation, no nothing.” There was a pause. “You recognized him, didn’t you?”

Blake scoffed. They didn’t have time for this. “Yes, you could say that-”

“Enough of that… Your the one who wanted me to compete today, right? Well, if we’re going to win this thing for Ruby, then we have to do it together. I can’t have you going in for revenge alone, I need to know you have my back.” Blake frowned and took a deep breath. “You good now?”

“No.” She said truthfully. “But I’m better.”

“At least that’s something.” Yang settled. “Now what was with your reaction? I haven’t seen you this way since Torchwick, and I don’t like it. You look like your going out there to kill someone.”

Well, that was probably because she was. “Look, this is between me and him. I’m not dragging you into this.”

The blonde laughed. “Dragging me into this. Your kidding, right? We’re a team. More than that, we’re partners. I’ve already been dragged in.” Blake looked away. She placed her hands on Blake’s shoulders. “That’s not what’s important. We’re not in this for us, remember. That was the deal. I’m not fighting for me, and you’re not fighting for you. We’re doing it for Ruby.”

An image flashed through Blakes mind, a memory not of Ruby, but of Weiss. It was at the docks, when confronted Torchwick. It was there that Weiss cemented their friendship with three simple words. “I don’t care.” In her time with Adam in the White Fang, Blake had helped wage a war, and no small part of that battle was against the Schnee Dust Company. To this, to her entire past, Weiss had said those words. “I don’t care.” The heiress had pushed aside the many dark things the White Fang had done to her family, and there were many.

Now faced with Grayson, faced with her own past, after all these years…could she do the same?

Yang’s voice pierced the thick fog her thoughts had created. “You don’t have to tell me what happened. I don’t care. Just remember what you promised. _Please_. I...I can’t do this alone.”

_I don’t care._ There they were again, those three words that meant so much. “Yang, I…” Blake’s face grew resolute. “Don’t worry. I’ll do this…” She paused and took a deep breath, finally gaining control of the anger that had consumed her. “ _We’ll_ do this, for Ruby.” She patted Yang on the shoulder. “Now come on. I think we’ve kept them waiting long enough.” After a brief embrace, Yang was always a hugger, they made their way quickly to their goal.

Once they reached it, a simple Metal door on the wall at the end of the passage, they noticed one something peculiar. Silence. No roar of the crowd, no annoying announcer, nothing.

“Well,” Yang said matter-of-factly. “No turning back now.” They shared a brief nod, before opening the door and walking through.

At first, it was silent. That quickly changed when the entire stadium exploded into sound.

_“And there they are.”_ Screamed Port over the loudspeaker. The crowd grew louder

_“A team that had every right to call it quits.”_ Oobleck continued. _“Just yesterday, they were attacked and brutally defeated by an unknown assailant. There leader was gravely injured, and her partner, the supposed target of the attack, is now stuck on an Atlesian Flagship with her. These girls had every right to throw in the towel, to retreat and nurse their wounds, yet here they are, the remaining two members of Beacon’s very own Team RWBY.”_ If possible, the cheers grew even more. _“The very fact they came here today to continue the fight for their fallen comrades is a true testament to their strength and their team’s loyalty to each other. Wouldn’t you agree Peter.”_

_“That I would Barty. No doubt in my mind, these girls have the blood of true huntresses running through them.”_

They both smiled. They had not been expecting this and the audiences support only proved to them that they were on the right path. As they reached the center of the arena, they heard a loud scoff from one of their opponents. No surprise to Blake, it was Grayson Eis. “I hardly see what the big deal is.”

The pair of boy’s outfits hadn’t changed much since the hall. Grayson’s teammate still wore the light combat armor, a hood, and a mask, except now, in either hand he held a katar, or punching dagger. They looked simple enough, not having any blatant dust cartridges, but these guys were from Atlas. No doubt the two weapons had some sort of alternate functionality.

Grayson, still wearing the heavy duty atlas combat armor with the addition of two large gauntlets, now held what could only be described as an oversized artillery cannon. Compared to the simplicity of punching daggers, it was an intimidating weapon, to say the least. The visible, circular barrel was short and wide, placed on the very end of the large rectangular rifle. The main body of the gun, about ten inches tall and five inches wide, extended backward four feet before the clip of the rifle, oversized and boxy, was attached underneath. Behind that, Blake could see a three jointed, metal support arm, extending from the bottom of the gun to the side of a large metal backpack the boy wore. Another foot past where the arm was mounted, the gun ended in the grip and trigger, held tightly by Grayson’s right hand, while his left found itself on the bolt handle situated on the side near the magazine.

Once again, Blake’s rage flared. When Blake got angry, it wasn’t a blazing fire like Yang, or the snap of a whip like Weiss. No, Blake’s anger was cold and slow. It froze everything it touched, until nothing was left but ice. This time, however, Blake held it back. “Grayson’s mine.” She said under her voice.

Yang stared at her quizzically before taking another look at the gun in his hand. “You sure?” She asked tentatively. When no response came, she simple shrugged. “Okay. I trust you. “I’ll handle short stuff over there.”

Either side prepared silently as the system selected the biomes to use. One by one, they rose as Port began the countdown. Lava and Mountain. _“3”_ Desert and Savanna. _“2”_ Blake smiled. _“1”_ She was going to enjoy this. _“FIGHT!”_

Blake was the first to act, dashing directly for her target. She ignored Yang’s call to wait, focusing solely on the gunner before her.

Grayson let out a psychotic laugh. “Wrong move idiot.” For a second nothing happened. Blake grinned. Then… _BOOM…BOOM… BOOM…BOOM…_ The gun wasn't fast, however with each shot, the ground shook.

Using her semblance, Blake easily dodged the first few rounds. The fourth hit her shoulder, and though her aura should have been able to shrug it off, she was sent tumbling. She quickly landed on her feet.

Blake charging the enemy was the last thing Yang had expected. She had just enough time to see her partner get sent to the ground before she had her own problems to deal with. Grayson’s buddy charged her. Yang smiled. Hand-to-hand combat. That’s something she could deal with.

Blake switched Gambol shroud to pistol mode and fire several shot at Grayson. He took them easily, his heavy combat armor absorbing the brunt of the damage. As the gunner took aim, Blake shot off to her left, straight into the grass of the savannah biome. “Ha.” He laughed. “Your seriously that scared that you gonna hide?”

She crouched down. That gun was gonna be a problem, she knew. She needed an advantage, and fast.

Yang dodged her enemies first two jabs at her head. The attack left him wide open. She sent a right jab of her own, right at his face, but instead of an impact, her fist sailed right through. Her eyes widened and her instincts kicked in. She ducked, backing away just in time for a blade to swing right over her head. The enemy responded with another thrust towards her head. This time, when she blocked with one hand and jabbed with the other, the hit connected. The enemy stumbled back before throwing himself once again into an attack.

Blake ran through the grass towards the mountain biome. Bullets sailed around her as Grayson fired wherever he saw the long stalks move. Breaking out of the biome she took a hard right, once again charging headlong at the gunner. As she did so, she fired bullet after bullet from Gambol Shroud. As before, the volley left Grayson unfazed, and Blake was left open to another hail of the high caliber rounds that once again sent her flying. She was sent rocketing back towards the mountain biome. As she regained her composure, she quickly took shelter behind a rock.

Right before her opponent reacher her, Yang’s head was hit by a sharp pain. It faded a brief second later. She quickly side stepped her opponents lunging attack, moving behind him. The boy turned around, arms prepared to strike. He moved, charging. Once again, Yang went to strike the boy, his attack lacking any defense whatsoever. And again, Yang stood there shocked, as her hand merely passing through thin air as her opponent’s body faded away. This time, she wasn’t fast enough to dodge the blade as it collided with her shoulder. She backed away slightly before taking a roundhouse kick to her head. Regaining her composure, she spun around and brought her hands up to block the next two thrusts.

Chunks of rock flew all around her as Grayson was tearing her cover apart with the fire from his gun. She glanced over at Yang, now fighting in the lava biome. She needed to focus. The volley suddenly stopped. Instinct told Blake _now,_ and she listened. She rounded the side of her cover just in time to see Grayson pull back the bolt handle on his gun. The large box clip fell to the ground with a dull thud. As her target reached behind to grab another one from the dispenser on his back, Blake charged. He was just placing it in the rifle when the faunus slashed with both of her blades. He ducked under the first, the second hitting him in the side of his shoulder. With a yank of his right arm, he swung the gun towards Blake, the action amplified by the mechanical support attached to the backpack. Blake leaped back as the gun passed harmlessly through a shadow clone. Grayson slid forward the hammer bolt. The gun let out a low hum, as it charged, and he took aim once again.

It must of been his semblance. Every so often, the guy would jump back. Yang would get hit by the sharp pain, and next time she went to strike, he’d simply vanish, reappearing a foot away just in time to exploit her drop in defense. Suffice to say, it was getting annoying. “Will you just hold still,” she screamed, her eyes turning blood red as the sharp pain hit her again. He stood unmoving as she charged, fist aimed at his face. Before she hit he drove his blade forward. She had plenty to space to block and still hit him, bringing up her left hand to- she stumbled, her aura absorbing the damage. She stared at him, stunned. With the range of his blades, he shouldn't have been able to strike her, and yet here he was, smirking under his mask, like he knew something she didn't. Which, in this case, was kind of accurate.

_“And here we see Lupin Oleander making great use of his semblance.”_

A look of panic crosses “Lupin’s" eyes.

_“Right you are Port. And what a fascinating semblance it is. Displacement allows Lupin to appear as if he was standing several feet away from his actual location, giving him the advantage in most hand-to-hand encounters.”_

Yang smiled. It never reached her eyes.

Blake ran, circling around Grayson as he chased her path with a stream of bullets. She ducked and rolled, the stream passing over her head as she came up in a crouch and threw Gambol Shroud at the leg of her target. The gun wrapped itself around the appendage. Blake pulled the ribbon, firing off a shot and causing Gambol Shroud to fly back to her hand as her target fell to the ground.

“Lupin. Cover." Grayson screamed.

Lupin responded quickly, ducking under Yang’s left hook and running straight for his teammate. With a click of a button, Blake watched his katars split down the center and open to either side, revealing short barrels attached to the middle of either handle. She stopped her headlong pursuit, and ran for cover just in time to hear the familiar chatter of machine guns.

“No you don’t.” Yang yelled, as she overcame the another sharp pain in her head. She fire a rapid from both her gauntlets. The first couple passed through the mirage easily, the third hitting Lupin in the back. The blast sent him flying.

“Enough of this” Grayson shouted, standing once more. He aimed the gun at Yang. The blonde was completely in the open, no hope to dodge. He pulled the trigger. Nothing. “What the he-” He was cut off by a sudden, all consuming flash of white light from his gun. The entire stadium, blinded, was left in silence. A moment passed, then… _BOOM!_ The blast echoed all around them, sending all four students flying. The sound of a buzzer went off. Everyone, even the announcers, were too shocked  to say anything. Grayson himself was sent flying, but where he had once stood, there was nothing but a large crater. Yang checked the score board. Grayson was out.

Lupin stood and brushed himself off. “That’s not supposed to happen.” he said matter-of-factly, ducking just in time to dodge Gambol Shroud flying over his head. With either katar, he shot a volley of bullets at both his enemies as he ran for the Savannah biome.

Blake felt the pain in her head. She took aim at Lupin and fired. The bullets passed through, causing Lupin’s real form to appear a foot to the left. Yang took aim and fire shot after shot. The air exploded all around their target. A buzzer. Silence filled the stadium. Had they done it? Had they really won?

_“Team RWBY wins the match.”_

The entire colosseum exploded into cheers. Blake grimaced. It wasn’t over yet. As the audience continued to celebrate, the fuanus walked over to the unmoving body Grayson Eis and stood above him. He stared up at her in fear, barely conscious. She leaned down as if to check if he was alright, instead bringing his head close and whispering into his ear a name. “Fawn Kelly.”

Having been badly injured by his own weapons malfunction, all Grayson could do was gasp and mumble. “No…no…no.” She let his head drop and back away to allow the medics to get him.

“Fawn Kelly?” Yang asked as they headed towards the edge of the arena.

“About three years ago, I was working with the new White Fang in Atlas, waging a small guerilla war against the SDC. At the time, I was a messenger. Important documents, dust, weapons, people. I delivered it all.” They passed into the hall and began to head back to the waiting area. Blake frowned at the memory. “I was fourteen at the time. An order went out to all members of the White Fang. If ever we were to find the son of a massive arms manufacturer vulnerable, we were to take the chance and end his life. That target was Grayson, and while delivering some intelligence, I stumbled across him in an alleyway. He was there, alone, waiting. I saw him, I almost shot him, but I couldn’t. Then out of a nearby building, there came a deer faunus, Fawn Kelly. She…” Blake stopped walking, consumed by her memory. “She met up with Grayson and left. I thought it would end there, but…”

“You don’t have to tell me this, Blake.” Yang tried to say.

“I do. In the morning, they found Fawn Kelly dead in the same alley way. It was my fault she died. It was also that day that I swore if I had to kill to protect the faunus, I would. Those two decisions, to let him live and to allow myself to kill, they are my biggest regrets Yang.”

Blake felt a hand on her shoulder. “If you had killed him, then nothing would have changed. If anything, it would probably have made things worse for faunus in Atlas. You have to remember that.” Yang smiled, and Blake couldn’t help but do the same. “We won Blake. We actually won.”

They hugged. “It’s not gonna stop there.” Yang spoke to the ceiling, “I promise you that sis, we gonna win this for you.”

* * *

 

Ironwood walked down the halls of the Amity Colosseum, having just finished all the matches for the day. They’d been interesting, to say the least, but none stuck in his mind like the very first. Team RWBY vs Team GLCR. The fact that Grayson’s gun exploded like that, it couldn’t be an accident. The construction, the safety mechanisms… The only explanation was sabatoge.

Then there was team RWBY. The entire team, not just the two who’d competed today, held such strength, it honestly amazed him. If all huntsman and huntresses had there bond with each other, their love, their integrity…but no.

In the 80 years since the great war, the world had grown far darker than many realized. Ironwood’s nightmares proved that much. He stopped, taking a look at the time, and sighed. He needed to go see Ozpin, even if he didn’t want too. As he came out onto the landing platform in front of his personal ship, he took a look towards the _Kalypso_ in the distance. The vessel was sign to him of Atlas’s strength and innovation. But they needed to keep advancing, keep creating new, stronger weapons. For if the darkness that was coming was anything like his nightmares, then they were going need every bit of strength they could muster.

But even then, the old general could only pray it would be enough.


	8. Death

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Just real quick, because they don't specify in the show, when I reference compact scrolls, I mean the ones the size of phones. See bottom for the rest of the A/N.
> 
> DISCLAIMER: I don't own RWBY, Rooster Teeth does.

Chapter 7: Death

" _I used to sit here and she used to sit over there and Death was as close as you are…"  
_ -Tennessee Williams,  _A Streetcar Named Desire_

The pain burned like fire, from her skin down to the smallest of nerves. It consumed the girl's senses, her thoughts, her soul. All had ceased to exist, replaced by the raging inferno that threatened her very existence.

Hours passed, and as they did, she lost more of herself, until even her name was gone. She knew nothing but the pain, and soon, that too began slip away as she slowly descended into darkness.

_Ruby…_

The pain suddenly pulsed, but it was different this time, like a flash of bright light. A sharp, almost electric jolt that faded as quickly as it began.

_Ruby…_

Another jolt, this time harder. She let out a sharp gasp as her lungs filled with the cold air. Her eyes flew open.

A field. A women. Black hair. Silver eyes. A cloak, white as snow.

_My little rose red…_  She spoke softly.  _It is not your time._

A third jolt.

Her heart pounded rapidly in her ears. She could feel as the oxygen was dragged from her lungs into her veins at an ever increasing speed.

A fourth.

The field and the woman were consumed in light. She heard voices. Someone was shouting. Hands grabbed her as she began to convulse.

A fifth.

_Live Ruby…_ She heard the women call.  _LIVE._

There was one final jolt, the strongest one yet. Ruby screamed, the sharp glare of fluorescents filling her vision. Several men in pure white medical smocks attempted to restrain her. She threw out an arm, hitting one hard in the chest. There was a crash as the man went flying.

"Sedate her." One of them yelled.

She thrashed even harder as everything began to take on a silver glow. "WEISS," she called out. "WEISS. Wei-" A plastic mask was pressed to her mouth cutting off the sound. She felt the beautiful oxygen that filled her lungs become tainted with poison.

"Cover her eyes." Her vision was immediately plunged into blackness as the silver glow began to fade.

"Weiss…" She spoke weakly. The plastic mask made the word distorted and ugly. She whispered her teammate's name one last time as she returned to the darkness.

* * *

Weiss felt nothing. She was awake, and had been so for almost an hour. During that time, she saw nothing but darkness, heard nothing but a constant, sharp ringing that threatened to send her sanity over the edge. She willed herself to move, only to find that she could no longer feel her limbs. In fact, she couldn't feel anything. They weren't numb, or unresponsive. It was almost as if her whole body had never existed in the first place.

Panic filled her mind. She wanted to scream. She wanted to run, to hide. She was held prisoner to her own mind. This, this was hell, her worst nightmare.

That was the before the whispering began.

It was quiet at first, a tingling at the back of her thoughts. As time passed on, the sounds grew louder and louder, until Weiss was drowning in their presence. The whispers were inhuman, guttural sounds. Unnatural, things she'd only heard from grimm. They drowned out the ringing and consumed her thoughts.

Weiss screamed within her mind. She begged whatever gods may be to end her, to stop the maddening voices, even if that meant death.

Then, just as her sanity began to teeter, the young girl's mind was filled by a vast, empty silence. The ringing, the whispers, even her own thoughts had ceased. All was quiet. A beat, two, three. Sensation hit her like a freight train. Frigid air filled her lungs and burned her throat. Her hammering heart filled her ears as hot, dry skin scraped against the scratchy cloth beneath her.

She twisted her trembling fingers into her palms, clenching her hands. She felt the tendons tighten and pull, the muscles constrict, bone grinding bone. The simple act took all her strength. It was several minutes before she could repeat the action. The sensations were lessened this time. What felt like hours passed as she clenched and released her hands again and again, her body learning once again how to feel. As her senses returned to normal, a new sound began to creep its way into Weiss's mind.

It was voices. Not like the whispers. No, these were actual voices, human voices. Two of them, both muffled. By there tones it sounded like they were arguing. The heiress strained to hear, catching more and more of the words as the conversation drew on.

"…shouldn't… in here… even be… this ship."

"You need… chill… explicit orders… watch the heiress…"

"Since when… favors for the Schnees?"

"We're not… for the Schnees. We're doing this for Winter."

Her eyes flew open.

"Ferris?"

Weiss turned her head, gritting her teeth at the pain of the movement. Her vision was blurry, but she could just make out two men. A man in a standard Atlesian Army Uniform, was pointing at her. The other figure, closer than the soldier, turned. He wore the same outfit, one major difference standing out. A head of messy brown hair.

She could just make out as the second man smiled.

"Hey Drew." He said, his voice smooth and calm. "Why don't you go out and stand watch."

"No way am I-"

"Do it." The man with the brown hair, Ferris, Weiss thought, commanded. The smile had left his face as tension between the two grew palpable.

Drew relented. "Fine. But if you try anything…" He let the words hang in the air. The door opened silently, sliding back with a soft click a moment later. They were alone.

The smile returned to Ferris' face as he rose and turned toward a small table in the far corner. Weiss could see now that she was on a medical bed. She heard the steady, repetitive  _beep_  of a heart monitor.  _Her_  heart monitor, she realized. She tried to remember what happened. The nightmare, Ruby waking her up, the android, the blood. Her eyes widened. Ruby had been shot. They'd gone to the  _Kalypso_  for treatment. Her eyes narrowed. Ironwood had locked her up, kept her from her partner. Then, an android had injected her with… with… well, she didn't know what.

She felt as though she had inhaled glass. The inside of her mouth was thick and gummy and her lips were chapped. She went to speak and instantly regretted it as she descended into a fit of coughing.

"Here." She felt the rim of a cup press against her lips. Icy water trickled down her tongue, and she greedily lapped at it. She heard the whirring of gears as the first half of her bed began to incline, putting her into a sitting position.

The cup was taken away, and her head followed it slightly before falling back against the pillow. She opened her eyes. Icy blue met a deep, playful brown. She managed to croak out a couple words. "What happened?" Her voice sounded dusty and ancient, as if it hadn't been used in centuries.

The smile dropped away from Ferris' face. "Well, the specifics are debatable, but supposedly, a medical android went haywire and injected you with a sedative, to which you had an allergic reaction."

Weiss must of looked skeptical, because he continued with a sarcastic grin. "I thought the same." To that she smiled. "Here." He put the cup back to her lips and once again, Weiss felt the cold trickle of water restore life to her barren throat.

The process was slow, and as time wore on, she felt strength begin to return to her muscles. She withdrew one arm from beneath the heavy blanket, followed by the other. Ferris set the cup beside her bed.

They sat in silence for several minutes. With each passing second, Weiss's senses slowly returned to normal. She could see clearly once again, and turned her head to face the man next to her, wincing slightly at the pain in her neck. "Your kind, for a soldier of Atlas…" There was a question in her words, and Ferris quickly caught on.

"And you're thinking I got some ulterior motive. Typical Schnee." He said chuckling, but there was no heart in it. "Well, no need to worry. I'm just following orders."

Weiss scoffed, her aching throat catching on itself and sending her into another coughing fit. As it settled down, she closed her eyes and let her head fall back against the pillow, trying to ignore the burning pain in her lungs and throat. A few deep breaths later, she spoke. "I highly doubt Ironwood is trying his best to keep me comfortable."

"My orders aren't from Ironwood." Pale blue eyes opened in surprise at those words.

She met Ferris's gaze, as she remembered what she had heard earlier. She opened her mouth, speaking a single word and filling it with the rest of her hope. "Winter?" Ferris smiled and nodded. For a moment, Weiss was overcome with relief. The feeling, however, was short-lived. "That's not possible. Winter works for Ironwood. She wouldn't go behind his back, even for me."

"Really?" He questioned sarcastically. "And do you follow every order your headmaster gives you?" Weiss frowned. He had a point there. "Look, I'm soldier. A grunt. I can't say anything for her motives, or the General's, for that matter. I  _can_  say that I woke up this morning to a package. That me and Drew were transferred to a ship we're not even supposed to look at without clearance. And that our primary goal is to keep you safe no matter the cost, even if that means, and I quote, 'keeping you away from General Ironwood.'"

Weiss stared at the opposing wall. She wanted to trust him, to trust someone, but she couldn't. She'd trusted Ironwood, and look where that got her. Ferris all the while was silent as she thought things over.

"Can you prove it?" She finally asked, refusing eye contact with the soldier. She heard some rustling, then something tapped her hand. Looking down, there was a small manilla envelope resting by her fingers. Picking it up, she opened it, ignoring the pain in her arms.

It was a compact scroll, like her standard school issued one, except one major difference: it was red. The sight of the device triggered a memory. She remembered getting a call moments before she had blacked out. A call from Ozpin.

"Where is my scroll?" She questioned Ferris.

The soldier laughed uncomfortably. "Yeah, the general apparently… uh… confiscated it."

"What," she yelled, triggering another fit of coughs. Ferris poured some more water and handed her the glass. She swallowed carefully and breathed. Once her lungs had calmed, Weiss felt her jaw clench in anger. All of this was because of Ironwood. That old man was really starting to get on her nerves.

"So what's this?" She finally questioned. The heiress could tell just by looking at it that the device in her hand was no ordinary scroll.

"It's called a hotline."

"A what?"

"A hotline. It's like a scroll, but a little bit different. Supposedly, the calls they make are completely secure, meaning no one can eavesdrop. Not even from the CCT. The downside is you can only call other hotlines. They also work as a black box of sorts, storing information such as location, vitals, area data. They're even equipped with a high power transmitter and distress signal." He paused for a second as he thought. "Or so I've heard. They're not exactly standard issue."

"Why?" The heiress questioned.

Ferris shrugged. "They're apparently expensive to make. I've only seen Atlas specialists use them."

So it was from Winter. She was the only specialist Weiss knew personally, so it was a decent explanation for why it was sent to her.

She sat in thought for several moments. "Thank you- Ferris, was it?" He nodded. "Thank you, Ferris, for bringing this to me."

"No problem Ice Queen Jr." She sent a withering glare his way as the soldier stood, grabbed his discarded helmet of the counter, and began towards the door. She stopped him before he could leave.

"May I ask a question?"

He turned to the heiress, responding with a smirk. "You just did." Weiss groaned inwardly, beginning to see just what kind of person she was dealing with.

"Why aren't you wearing your helmet?" The soldier's grin faded instantly. "I mean… I've never seen an Atlesian soldier without one on. It's… Well, it's surprising."

Ferris replied with a cheeky grin, though Weiss could tell it was forced. "Because,  _Ice Queen Jr.,_ " he said stressing the nickname, "then you wouldn't be able to see my beautiful face."

Weiss instantly went red, but he was out of the room before she could retort. As silence settled the small space, Weiss couldn't help but think, what a strange man.

Turning her attention back to the device in her hand, Weiss turned it over, running her fingers over the smooth metal casing, inspecting it. It was heavier than a normal compact scroll, and slightly thicker. Figuring she had nothing to lose, she opened it. The screen blared to life seconds later… and asked for a password. She sighed. Why couldn't things ever be easy? The heiress glanced at the door, considering asking Ferris for help, before figuring he would have told her if he knew. That left one other option. Opening the manilla folder, Weiss shook it, smiling when a small scrap of paper fell out into her hand. Unfolding it, she was surprised to see only three words.

_Our Fairy Tale_

Her eyes widened, her mind falling back to years past. To the first, and last, fairy tale she ever read. She was young, only six years old. Winter was still heiress at the time, and Weiss's closest friend. Their father had taken Winter for a two week excursion to Mistral to meet business partners. At the time, those two weeks had felt like eternity to Weiss.

The day her sister returned was one of Weiss's happiest, and as she remembered it, a small smile crossed her face.

It was all so vivid, so real. Winter strode through the massive doors and whisked Weiss away to the younger girl's room, bag in hand. Reaching into the bag she pulled out a thin, brightly colored book. The simple cover told a story all it's own. It was a pair of beautiful, silver eyes framed by black hair and olive skin. Above that, in block letters, was the title.

_The Song of Seven Queens._

Her sister leaned in, their foreheads touching. Scrunching her nose she whispered. " _Don't tell father."_

Weiss readily agreed. Their father would never approve of such "idle distractions," as he'd call them. And so every night, for several weeks, Winter would sneak into Weiss's room, and they would read. The book wasn't very long, but the beautifully drawn pictures entranced the two girls, carrying them away from the crushing weight of reality and the stale air of the estate. The bright and exaggerated colors were a far cry from the historical pictures and classical paintings that filled their daily lessons. It was nothing short of pure magic.

Even more than that, though, the story was unlike anything Weiss had ever been taught. Seven Queens. Seven sets of silver eyes. Heroes, who in the end gave their own lives so the rest of the world might live.

It was around that time, a little earlier in fact, that the nightmares began. She knew that if she shared them with Winter, then her sister would do nothing but worry, and she feared what actions her father would take if he found out, so the young girl told no one. The fairy tale became an escape from the dreams of red.

After one particularly bad nightmare, Weiss woke gripped by terror. She ran to Winter's room, not knowing the older girl had gone early to her daily trainings. Unable to find solace in her sister, Weiss had sought the book, unaware of her father's prying eyes. When he saw what she held, he'd stormed into the room, tearing the book from her grasp. Grabbing her by the hair, he dragged her to his study and threw the small children's story into the burning flames of his fireplace. His voice was as cold as ice as she watched what felt like her heart burn to ash.

" _You are a Schnee, and I expect you to act like it. You don't have time for childish things such as fairy tales. I do this Weiss…_

"… _because I care."_

The young heiress gasped as she was mercilessly thrown back into reality, to the thick mattress and scratchy sheets, surprised by the hot tears that trickled ran down her cheeks and under the contours of her chin and throat. She had nearly forgotten all about it. Forgotten the smell of the delicate linen paper and the Mistrallin ink as it curled and crackled in the fire, turning to soft, grey ash, taking her childhood with it. She grimaced. Damn her father. And damn Winter, for bringing that book into their home. She sighed. It would do her no good to dwell on the past now. She had outgrown fairy tales long ago. Besides, she was a Schnee...and yet she couldn't help but feel that if maybe…

No. She didn't have time for what if's and regrets. She looked back down to the device, and quickly entered the words "song of seven queens." The device beeped softly before a play button appeared. Beneath it, it read  _one pending audio message_. There was no other choice, and she had nothing left to lose. The heiress tapped the symbol and put the scroll up to her ear.

* * *

The man silently watched the three figures on the opposing roof top. He pulled his black cloak tighter around his figure, the shadows cast by the setting sun easily concealing him.

The people were a fair distance away, much further than human ears could hear. Of course, the man thought with a smirk, that would have mattered if he was human.

"But don't you think it's strange that the locks on our rooms malfunctioned the day after Team RWBY's attacked." The green haired one spoke as she paced the open roof. The anxiety in her voice was like sweet music to the man's ears.

The boy with the grey hair was the first to respond. "Will you calm down. No way they figured us out."

"Mercury's right." It was the final girl who spoke now. The man frowned. He could sense something different about her, something familiar. "I doubt Ozpin would risk his own students to flush us out. Besides, the attack is just the thing we need to spread fear. No one doubts the android was Atlesian. With a little push, the rumor might be exactly what we're looking for. And with RWBY's unexpected win this morning…" She chuckled. "Well, everything's back on schedule." She turned to the boy with the grey hair. "Mercury, I want to you to head to Forever Fall. Alert Adam that the time table has shifted. It all goes down tomorrow."

The man tuned out the boy's cry of complaints. Forever Fall. He shook his head in disapproval. First this group, and now another hiding in the woods.  _Truth_  was getting sloppy, letting pests infest his home. Now it was up to the man to exterminate them before things got out of hand.

Something caught his eye in the distance. Looking up, he saw the silhouette of the  _Kalypso_ , painted black against the setting sun. There was a dark presence about the ship.

How long had the man been wandering alone? The time for action was past due, and he had sat on the sidelines for far too long. He set a hand on the ornate kukri strapped to his waste, tracing his fingers across the four letters engraved on the handle.

_F. S. t. L._

He took one final glance at the three figures, still plotting on the roof. He'd leave them for  _Truth_. Till then, he had their friend to take care of, Adam, he heard the girl call him. He turned finally to the stalwart presence of Beacon tower.

" _Truth_." He whispered softly. "I'm back." With those words, the man disappeared. The rooftop lay empty, not a trace of his presence left behind, save the sweet, acrid stench of blood and death.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So, yeah, I wanted to talk a little bit about the direction that story is going. So, when I created this story I was working off the information presented in volume four. After that, I filled in other gaps with original content for my own purposes. So the world is kind of AU itself, it's not just Canon Divergence. Thought I'd warn about that before things get too intense.
> 
> Shout out to Not So Super Saiyan and dgschneider for the help with copy editing.
> 
> Also, shout out to my consistent reviewers. You guys bring me so much joy.
> 
> For the next chapter, let's shoot for three weeks from now, but if it's done early, it will be two weeks.
> 
> On a side note, the prologue and chapter one have been updated and change slightly (mainly the dream), if anyone is interested. I'd love to see what people think.
> 
> Please review, it makes me wanna write more.
> 
> Till next time
> 
> -Cindermane


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